A US logistics firm has agreed to pay $400,000 to settle claims it helped Chinese companies ship fentanyl into the country in a landmark case, according to US officials.
IMC Pro International, a North Carolina-based private shipping company, allegedly agreed to provide several Chinese companies with access to its firm so they could generate domestic shipping labels, according to the US Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Texas.
That allowed packages containing fentanyl chemicals from Chinese companies to identify IMC Pro as their company – even though IMC Pro did not store or handle the boxes, officials claimed.
It’s the first time a US shipping company has settled accusations it helped ship fentanyl precursors through the US. IMC Pro’s settlement did not include an admission of guilt.
IMC Pro did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Smugglers have increasingly taken advantage of a trade loophole known as the de minimis rule to sneak fentanyl-making chemicals into the US and then down to Mexico, according to a Reuters investigation.
The de minimis exemption is a longtime trade rule that allows packages worth less than $800 to be shipped into the US duty free.
Fast-fashion firms like Shein and Temu have taken advantage of the bylaw to avoid paying taxes on cheap, lightweight goods – but fentanyl smugglers also use the rule to avoid US customs, shipping packages into the country with minimal inspections.
President Trump earlier this year threatened to close the loophole, but has since delayed that rule change.
“In addition to going after the drug cartels, DEA will continue to hold companies accountable who make it easy for drug trafficking organizations to get their hands on precursor chemicals to produce deadly synthetic drugs like fentanyl,” Daniel Comeaux, special agent in charge for the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s Houston Division, said in a statement.
“This first-of-its-kind settlement exposes loopholes some companies are exploiting to bring poison to our communities,” Comeaux added.
Officials said they first became aware of IMC Pro’s alleged illicit behavior in 2023, when the DEA seized five packages in Eagle Pass, Tex. that identified IMC Pro as the shipper.
The five packages contained 1-BOC-4 Piperidone and (2-Bromoethyl) benzene – chemicals used in the production of fentanyl.
An investigation determined the packages were shipped to the US from China, then transported to Texas and were intended to pass across the US-Mexico border, where they would be used to manufacture illicit fentanyl, officials said.
IMC Pro’s settlement includes a promise they will not engage in similar agreements with foreign entities now or in the future.
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