Chinese National Charged With Smuggling Drugs Through Georgia’s Port of Savannah

A Chinese national accused of smuggling controlled substances through Georgia’s Port of Savannah was recently arrested in China, according to U.S. prosecutors.

Gong Wei, also known as David Gong, 45, has been in custody in China since February after U.S. officials said information shared through official channels with Chinese authorities led to his arrest, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia announced on May 20.

“Wei Gong, through his ownership of a Chinese chemical company, imported more than 10 kilograms of dangerous drugs into the Southern District of Georgia and sought to bring in more than 1,000 kilograms through the Port of Savannah,” Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, said in a statement.

Gong owned a 90 percent stake in Tianjin Double International Trading, a company registered in the Chinese megacity of Tianjin, according to a civil complaint unsealed recently.

Prosecutors said his company’s website advertised illicit drugs, including synthetic cathinones, synthetic cannabinoids, and fentanyl analogues. Among the substances listed on the website was Alpha-PHP, a synthetic cathinone and Schedule I controlled substance in the United States.

Gong’s scheme lasted from 2020 until his arrest in February, during which he allegedly shipped eutylone and N,N-dimethylpentylone, both of which are Schedule I controlled substances, and synthetic cathinones into the Augusta and Savannah areas in Georgia, according to prosecutors.

N,N-dimethylpentylone and eutylone are both synthetic cathinone stimulants that have been found in pills and powders sold as ecstasy or MDMA.

Gong allegedly sold at least 10 kilograms (about 22 pounds) of eutylone and N,N-dimethylpentylone to an undercover agent from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and to Conway Rhinehart, according to the complaint.

In January 2024, Rhinehart was sentenced to 108 months in prison for operating a mail-order business selling illicit synthetic drugs, marketing them as “energy powers” or “energy crystals,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The complaint alleges that between 2021 and 2023, Rhinehart ordered “kilogram quantities” of eutylone from Gong, disguising the substance under the name “EU.” The two communicated via messaging app WhatsApp, and at one point, Gong told Rhinehart that Shenzhen, China, was a “source city for his drug supply.”

In early 2023, Gong allegedly sold about 5 kilograms (11 pounds) to the undercover DEA agent, who paid in cryptocurrency worth about $4,800, according to the complaint.

Gong also shared his ambitions to ship hundreds of kilograms of illicit drugs into southern Georgia, telling a DEA confidential source that he could send 1,000 kilograms of eutylone per month, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors noted that Gong’s cryptocurrency records reflected millions of dollars in transactions over the course of the alleged scheme.

The U.S. government is seeking forfeiture of Gong’s cryptocurrency tied to the case through a recently unsealed criminal indictment and the complaint. Gong was indicted in September 2024.

Gong is charged with conspiracy to import controlled substances, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, importation of controlled substances, and distribution of controlled substances. Each charge carries a statutory sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

The complaint also accuses Gong of violating customs and anti-money laundering laws.

David L. King, special agent in charge of the DEA Asia Pacific Division, said Chinese authorities contributed to the case.

“This coordinated action with the Chinese Ministry of Public Security reflects our shared resolve to hold traffickers accountable, seize their illicit proceeds, and dismantle networks that traffic fentanyl and other dangerous substances to the United States,” King said.

“The DEA Asia Pacific Division remains unwavering in its commitment to disrupting the drug supply chain that crosses borders and endangers American communities.”

The Epoch Times was unable to reach Gong’s lawyer for comment.