Full Breakdown
Chinese Nationals Charged in Alleged Prison-Drug Smuggling Ring
9/10/2026, 2:50:32 AM
Alleged Smuggling Scheme
Prosecutors allege that Lisa Xing, 36, and Zhanwen Song, 38, coordinated a network that supplied synthetic opioids, cannabinoids and other designer drugs from China to U.S. correctional facilities. The indictment claims the pair shipped the substances to co-defendants Adell Willis of Texas and Judy Ly of Michigan, who dissolved the drugs, soaked sheets of paper in the mixture and mailed the drug-laden paper to inmates in federal and state prisons nationwide.
Investigation and International Cooperation
U.S. authorities say the case was pursued through a joint FBI–Chinese Ministry of Public Security counternarcotics working group formed earlier this year. The Justice Department reports that Chinese officials arrested Xing, Song and 19 additional alleged conspirators, seized 475 kilograms of synthetic cannabinoids and shut down four illicit manufacturing sites. U.S. Attorney Jay R.
Legal Consequences
Both Xing and Song were charged in a superseding federal indictment in the Eastern District of Texas with drug-trafficking and money-laundering offenses. If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison and could receive life sentences. Their co-defendants Willis and Ly were previously indicted on conspiracy charges related to distribution and money laundering.
Official Statements & Responses
FBI Director Kash Patel highlighted the operation as a priority target, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to disrupting similar networks. The Department of Justice underscored the collaborative effort with Chinese law-enforcement partners as a model for future transnational drug investigations.
Verbatim Quotes
- “This FBI and our Homeland Security Task Force partners will keep finding and disrupting these networks wherever they operate,” — Kash Patel, FBI director
