Two Chinese nationals have been indicted on federal drug trafficking and money laundering charges as part of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation into an alleged synthetic drug distribution network, federal prosecutors announced.
Lisa Xing, 36, and Zhanwen Song, 38, were named in a six-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas. The case also involves Adell Willis, 43, of Lewisville, and Judy Ly, 30, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, who were indicted in May.
Defendants Accused of Synthetic Drug Distribution
According to the indictment, the defendants conspired beginning in March 2023 to distribute synthetic opioids, synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic stimulants and other controlled substances in correctional facilities.
Prosecutors allege Willis obtained synthetic drugs from Xing and Song in China and had the substances shipped to his home in the Eastern District of Texas and to Ly’s residence in Michigan.
After receiving the drugs, Willis and Ly allegedly converted them into a liquid and used the mixture to saturate sheets of paper. Prosecutors say the treated paper was then delivered to inmates at federal and state correctional institutions around the country.
All four defendants face charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess controlled substances, conspiracy to possess contraband in prison, conspiracy to manufacture and distribute controlled substances knowing they would be unlawfully imported into the United States, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Willis also faces a charge of possessing synthetic drugs with intent to distribute.
China Arrests Alleged Co-Conspirators
China’s Ministry of Public Security arrested Xing, Song and 19 alleged co-conspirators as part of the investigation, according to U.S. authorities.
Chinese authorities also seized 475 kilograms of synthetic cannabinoids and shut down four alleged illicit manufacturing sites.
The investigation involved the FBI-MPS counternarcotics working group, which was established in January 2026. U.S. officials said the cooperation helped investigators target the alleged international supply network.
U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs said the indictment alleges that a China-based supplier and a domestic distributor worked together to bring synthetic drugs into the United States for distribution.
Federal Task Force Leads Investigation
The case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force, a multiagency initiative focused on investigating transnational criminal organizations and other cross-border criminal activity.
HSTF Dallas includes personnel from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Transportation Security Administration, Secret Service, State Department, U.S. Marshals Service and other agencies.
DEA Administrator Terry Cole said the investigation demonstrates the agency’s focus on tracing synthetic drugs and their supply chains back to their sources.
The prosecution is being handled by Eastern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucas Machicek and Dustin Farahnak.
Defendants Face Potential Life Sentences
If convicted, each defendant faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison.
An indictment is an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
