AHMEDABAD: Bhavesh Lathia, a businessman from Gujarat, has been arrested in the United States for his alleged involvement in the illegal production of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid tied to the ongoing global drug trafficking crisis. Lathia, associated with Surat’s Chemicals company, is accused of shipping fentanyl precursors to Mexico’s notorious Sinaloa Cartel and other drug syndicates.
Lathia’s arrest followed a detailed investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which uncovered his company’s critical role in the deadly fentanyl trade. Lathia allegedly employed deceptive practices to smuggle dangerous chemicals disguised as harmless medicines.
In June 2024, Lathia’s company, Raxuter Chemicals, sent a shipment to New York labeled as vitamin C supplements, evading customs checks. Months later, another shipment, misrepresented as antacids, concealed 20 kilograms of a Schedule I chemical essential in fentanyl production.
Investigators have connected the shipment to Mexican drug cartels, with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin, continuing to exacerbate the drug crisis in the United States.
The arrest followed a sting operation by HSI agents. In October 2024, an undercover agent posing as a buyer contacted Lathia, who boasted about his success with Mexican clients and agreed to ship the chemicals, mislabeling them to avoid detection. Earlier, in February 2024, Lathia allegedly sent 100 kilograms of the same chemical to a Mexican trafficker. These shipments have significantly contributed to the large-scale production of fentanyl, fueling America’s opioid epidemic.
Fentanyl, originally developed as a prescription painkiller, has now become a leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the U.S., according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The rise in fentanyl misuse highlights the growing public health crisis, with synthetic opioids like fentanyl dominating the nation’s overdose epidemic.