“The enormous amount of methamphetamine seized in this case shows how brazen drug traffickers have become,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a man in California was arrested and charged in federal court on a criminal complaint alleging he was involved in the attempted shipment of 2,205 pounds of methamphetamine.
Jing Tang Li, 32, of El Monte, California, was arrested Thursday and charged with distribution and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. He is accused of having connections to the shipment, which contained over a ton of methamphetamine and was destined for Australia, a news release said.
“Dangerous drugs like methamphetamine ravage our community,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement. “We see every day the misery that highly addictive drugs cause on our streets. The massive amount of methamphetamine seized in this case shows how brazen drug traffickers have become and why it is imperative that we use our resources to hold these criminals accountable.”
The drugs were shipped by a front company and sent in packages labeled as furniture, wheel hub testing equipment, a casting machine, and carpets and textiles, the Associated Press reported.
The Justice Department announced the arrest on Friday, but the attempted export of the drugs took place in 2023, the press release said.
If convicted, Li could face a ten-year prison sentence.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Australian Federal Police.
Julia is a trends reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered a variety of topics, from local business and government in her hometown of Miami to technology and pop culture. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on X, formerly Twitter, Instagram And TikTok: @juliamariegz
