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Maritime Cocaine Smuggling
A federal jury in Texas has found two Chinese nationals guilty of maritime drug smuggling, bringing an end to a four-day trial. FeiShang Liang, 52, and KanHua Wu, 51, both of the People’s Republic of China, were convicted by a jury of violating maritime drug smuggling laws.
According to evidence presented in court, the pair were part of a crew that attempted to smuggle over a ton of cocaine into the United States on a 120-foot fishing vessel. The U.S. Coast Guard detected the vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, approximately 1,025 nautical miles west of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
As the Coast Guard approached the vessel, the crew began throwing packages overboard, which were later recovered by law enforcement. The packages contained a total of 983 kilograms of cocaine, a significant portion of which was equipped with GPS trackers. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter caught both Liang and Wu on videotape as they threw the cocaine into the ocean.
The conviction marks a significant victory for law enforcement and serves as a warning to those involved in maritime drug smuggling. "To really have an effect on the drug supply in this country, we have to be willing to go after every person involved in the chain of distribution," said Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown. "Whether it’s the street dealer, or the person on the boat transporting, or the leader of the cartel, we will charge them and convict them."
The defendants each face a minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in federal prison on each count of conviction at the time of sentencing. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay R. Combs and Christopher Eason.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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