[U.S. Prosecutors Indict Two Chinese Pharmaceutical Companies and Six Chinese Nationals, Accusing Them of Using Cryptocurrency for Fentanyl Trafficking and Money Laundering] Foresight News reports, according to The Block, a federal grand jury in Ohio has indicted two Chinese pharmaceutical companies (Shandong Believe Chemical Company Pte Ltd. and Shandong Ranhang Biotechnology Co. Ltd.) and six Chinese nationals. Prosecutors accuse the defendants of selling substances, including medetomidine, as fentanyl diluents to drug traffickers in the U.S. and abroad, and instructing customers to make payments through cryptocurrency wallets under their control. The funds were then layered and transferred to overseas financial institutions. The case was driven by the FBI's "Operation Box Cutter" initiative. Three of the defendants are also accused of attempting to provide material support to a Mexican drug cartel designated as a foreign terrorist organization. If convicted, the defendants face drug trafficking charges with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, as well as up to 20 years for money laundering and terrorism-related charges.