North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson and South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson were set to bring their joint fentanyl crackdown to Charlotte today, with a 10 a.m. press conference alongside Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department leaders. The briefing, scheduled to be livestreamed for local viewers, was expected to address allegations that fentanyl traffickers are using messaging and payment platforms to launder proceeds, with officials saying the focus would be on tracing financial flows tied to the drug trade and on steps law enforcement can take to disrupt them.
Officials told local media the briefing would zero in on WeChat and other payment platforms that investigators believe are being misused to move money, as reported by WBTV. The station noted that the attorneys general planned to be joined by CMPD's chief and deputy chief and posted a live video player for the 10 a.m. event so residents could follow along in real time.
The push builds on a May 12, 2025 demand letter led by Jackson that asked WeChat to explain what steps it was taking to stop money laundering tied to fentanyl, the North Carolina Department of Justice said. In that release Jackson warned that “Criminal organizations are actively using WeChat to move and conceal profits from fentanyl trafficking” and gave the company 30 days to respond. The department cited multiple investigations and indictments that officials say connected WeChat-based communications to money-laundering schemes.
Jackson and Wilson told reporters they had since secured a commitment from WeChat to work with law enforcement, the local station reported. Officials stopped short of laying out next steps publicly but said the commitment was part of ongoing pressure from state and local prosecutors to force platform changes and increase transparency, signaling that the political and legal heat on the company is not letting up.
How Investigators Say the Scheme Works
Law-enforcement descriptions of the typology point to encrypted messages coordinating cash pickups, currency swaps and cross-border transfers that mask the source of drug proceeds, a pattern prosecutors say has become more sophisticated in recent years. Reporting by WFAE reviewed the May 2025 announcement and the cases cited by prosecutors, noting the role of encrypted messaging in coordinating repatriation of funds. CMPD's presence at the briefing underscores the local angle: Charlotte sits on major interstate corridors that investigators say traffickers use to move both product and proceeds.
Legal Options and Timeline
The demand letter gave WeChat a 30-day deadline and warned of a range of escalation options if the company did not act, officials said in the N.C. DOJ release. South Carolina’s attorney general framed the campaign as part of broader accountability work and urged cooperation from the platform, per the South Carolina Attorney General office. Legal experts note that pursuing enforcement or regulatory steps against a China-based platform could present jurisdictional challenges, which is why state attorneys general are coordinating with federal partners and local law enforcement.
Local readers hoping to follow the briefing could watch the live stream carried by local outlets, and WBTV published the pre-briefing live player ahead of the 10 a.m. event. This story will be updated with any public materials, commitments and follow-ups released by the attorneys general or CMPD.
