The District Court of Guam building is seen on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, in Hagåtña.
HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Unsealed federal search warrants revealed a Chinese national from Saipan came to Guam by boat and was forced to sell methamphetamine.
Last week in the District Court of Guam, two federal search warrants were executed, unsealed and showed they stemmed from a case involving Benzhe Shao, who was indicted Oct. 23, 2024, on charges of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
The indictment stated that Shao, also known as “Tiger,” knowingly and intentionally possessed with intent to distribute 50 or more grams of methamphetamine on July 26, 2024, however, it does not give any other details about Shao’s alleged conduct.
While Shao is scheduled to go to trial on the charges in March, the warrants to search a cellphone and phone number were sought after an FBI agent established probable cause following an investigation into Shao.
According to the affidavit establishing probable cause, FBI agent Liu Hong Jiang interviewed an unnamed “cooperating defendant” on June 27, 2024, who provided information about “Chinese nationals who were involved in his/her drug distribution network.”
“The cooperating defendant stated that some of the Chinese nationals are located in the Northern Mariana Islands and some of them are in Guam. The cooperating defendant reported that Shao is one of the individuals in this drug distribution network and that Shao is currently on Guam. The cooperating defendant stated that Shao is also in possession of approximately 2 kilograms of methamphetamine,” the affidavit stated.
Jiang said he interviewed Shao three times between July and August 2024 and confirmed the phone and number searched belonged to Shao.
Involvement
During Jiang’s interviews with Shao, Shao revealed he was born in China but was living on Guam after relocating from Saipan. Shao said when in Saipan in October 2022, he started to become involved in the cooperating defendant’s drug network.
For about three months, the cooperating defendant would supply Shao with methamphetamine and Shao would sell the drugs to street sellers who would then sell the meth for $220 per gram, the affidavit stated.
The arrangement ended when the cooperating defendant learned he was wanted by the Northern Mariana Islands Department of Safety, so the cooperating defendant went into hiding. However, the cooperating defendant contacted Shao because Shao allegedly owed the informant money for 400 grams of methamphetamine.
Shao claimed he received threats from the cooperating defendant, which led Shao to leave Saipan for Guam.
“Shao paid a Saipan resident to transport him and his girlfriend from Saipan to Guam via boat. Shao and his girlfriend … arrived on Guam on or about June 2023,” the affidavit stated.
The cooperating defendant, however, also came to Guam via boat and continued to look for Shao to collect the money Shao owed.
According to the affidavit, the cooperating defendant finally caught up with Shao in October 2023. Shao told Jiang that the cooperating defendant shot Shao and the bullet grazed his head. The cooperating defendant then detained Shao for three days.
“Shao related he was only able to secure his release after he paid the cooperating defendant $10,000 and $400,000 in Chinese (currency) and promised to continue to sell drugs for the cooperating defendant,” Jiang wrote in the affidavit.
Shao explained further that after the incident, he was “controlled” by the cooperating defendant and “made to sell methamphetamine.” During this time, Shao would use WeChat, a free application for messaging, to contact the cooperating defendant and receive instructions about picking up methamphetamine at “dead drop” locations where methamphetamine was stored in plastic PVC pipes.
The affidavit states Shao continued picking up the drugs and bringing it back to his residence until he learned the cooperating defendant was extradited back to Saipan.
“Shao stated he then tossed the methamphetamine (placed in a clear plastic bag and light blue tote bag) into the woods behind the Oceanview Apartment,” Jiang wrote.
Evidence
After receiving the information from Shao, special agents with the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations on July 25, 2024, found 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine behind the Oceanview Apartment.
On Oct. 1, 2024, Shao also willingly turned over five black PVC pipes that contained methamphetamine stored in Shao’s car.
Additionally, the affidavit stated Shao gave information regarding the residence where he believed he was detained by the cooperating defendant.
