A Surat-based businessman has been sentenced to more than four years in a US prison after admitting to smuggling chemical substances that could be used to produce fentanyl. Bhavesh Ranchhodbhai Lathiya, 37, was handed a 54-month sentence by a federal court in Brooklyn, New York.
Lathiya had used misleading descriptions to move the chemicals into the US, including declaring one shipment as vitamin C and another as antacids. He is due to be deported after completing his sentence in March 2031 and has also been ordered to forfeit $24,560 (around Rs 23 lakh), according to an official statement by the US Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York said Lathiya’s case was the first
of its kind involving an India-based supplier.
Who Is Bhavesh Lathiya?
Lathiya, also known as Bhavesh Bhai, Bhavesh Patel and Bhavesh Lathiya, founded and headed Raxuter Chemicals, a company based in Surat.
US prosecutors said the company illegally supplied and smuggled more than 50 pounds of chemicals into the country. The substances were commonly used in the production of fentanyl.
Lathiya was arrested in New York in January 2025. He faced charges including conspiracy to distribute and import a listed chemical, knowingly supplying a chemical for fentanyl production and smuggling. The charges carried a maximum possible sentence of 53 years.
He pleaded guilty in April 2026.
How Were The Chemicals Smuggled?
Court records showed that Lathiya supplied precursor chemicals to buyers in the US and Mexico despite knowing how they could be used, as per the outlet.
His company relied on international mail and courier services to send the substances. False descriptions and customs declarations were allegedly used to make the packages appear harmless and avoid detection.
In June 2024, a package sent by the company to an address in New York was declared as containing vitamin C. Investigators found that it actually contained 1-boc-4-piperidone, a chemical precursor used to manufacture fentanyl and a substance that cannot be legally imported into the US.
Undercover Operation Leads To Arrest
Lathiya’s activities came under scrutiny during an undercover investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
During video calls with undercover agents in October 2024, he agreed to supply 20 kilograms of 1-boc-4-piperidone, according to court filings.
He also suggested that the chemicals could be falsely described as antacids. A shipment carrying that description was subsequently sent to a New York address in November 2024.
US Officials Warn Chemical Suppliers
US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr said Lathiya supplied chemical ingredients despite the severe damage caused by fentanyl overdoses in the US.
“During a national crisis when hundreds of Americans were dying every day of fentanyl overdoses, Lathiya smuggled and distributed chemical ingredients, including those that were the building blocks for this deadly drug, without any regard for the harm that his conduct would cause,” Nocella was quoted as saying by the press release by the US Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York.
He added, “With today’s sentence, the message is loud and clear that our Office will hold precursor traffickers like the defendant accountable for their role in the fentanyl supply chain.”
HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Peter Gizas said the case placed Lathiya at an early stage of the fentanyl supply chain.
“Bhavesh Lathiya’s conduct placed him at the source of the fentanyl supply chain, where he knowingly moved the chemical building blocks of a lethal drug into the US through deception, false labeling, and international shipments in a prosecution that breaks new ground against an India-based supplier,” Gizas said.
He added, “By feeding the market for fentanyl at its earliest stage, he turned chemical commerce into a direct threat to public safety, widening the reach of a drug that continues to inflict profound harm across our communities.”
Why Is Fentanyl So Dangerous?
Fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic opioid that is used medically to treat severe pain. Outside medical supervision, even a very small amount can be fatal.
The US has faced a serious opioid crisis for years, with fentanyl responsible for a large share of drug overdose deaths.
Lathiya To Be Deported After Prison Term
Lathiya will serve his 54-month sentence in the US. Unless he is released earlier, his prison term is expected to run until March 2031.
After completing the sentence, he will be deported to India.
