Two Indian chemical companies and a top executive are facing indictments in a Brooklyn federal court, as U.S. authorities take a stand against the international flow of substances used to manufacture fentanyl. Raxuter Chemicals, Athos Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., and Bhavesh Lathiya, co-founder and senior executive at Raxuter Chemicals, have been charged with conspiring to export precursors of the lethal opioid to the United States.
Bhavesh Lathiya was arrested in New York City on January 4, 2025, and following his arraignment, was ordered detained pending trial. The indictments detail allegations that the companies engaged in distributing chemicals that are key ingredients in the production of fentanyl, exploiting shipping services and employing deceptive labeling to cover their tracks. "Our efforts to disrupt the global fentanyl supply chain are being fought on many fronts," United States Attorney Breon Peace stated. The United States Attorney's office announced the legal actions as part of a concerted effort to curb the United States' opioid epidemic.
According to investigators, Raxuter and Athos Chemicals distributed chemicals like 1-boc-4-piperidone to the U.S. and Mexico, despite knowing they would be used to produce fentanyl, as detailed by the United States Attorney's office. These operations enabled Mexican drug cartels to produce and smuggle the potent drug into the United States, worsening a public health crisis. "The Department of Homeland Security, alongside our federal partners, will continue to take the fight against fentanyl directly to alleged foreign precursor chemical exporters like the companies and the individual indicted today," said DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas.
In one instance, Raxuter Chemicals purportedly shipped a package to New York, falsely claiming it contained Vitamin C, when in actuality it was a fentanyl precursor. Similarly, Athos Chemicals is accused of agreeing to sell a significant quantity of the same chemical to a drug trafficker in Mexico linked to a large-scale drug organization.
The penalties for these offenses are severe, with Lathiya facing up to 53 years if convicted on all charges—the defendants, however, remain presumed innocent until proven guilty. The handling of this high-stakes case is being managed by the International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office, signaling the gravity with which the United States is addressing the fentanyl crisis.
