The US Justice Department said on April 23 it has charged two Chinese nationals accused of running a major scam compound in Myanmar that targeted Americans in cryptocurrency fraud schemes, as Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro warned the US would continue to crack down on cyber crimes.
Prosecutors allege Huang Xingshan and Jiang Wen Jie oversaw operations at a site known as Shunda Park, where trafficked workers were forced to carry out so-called “pig butchering” scams – building online relationships with victims before steering them into fake crypto investments that siphoned large sums of money.
“We have seized the sites and we are coming for the rest,” Ms Pirro told reporters following the announcement. “These criminals thought they were untouchable because they are overseas. Today we have proved them wrong and we’re just getting started.”
The charges are part of the Justice Department’s Scam Center Strike Force targeting syndicates, including those linked to Chinese organised crime operating across Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos that have syphoned billions of dollars from victims all over the world.
Such operations often rely on human trafficking networks, with workers lured abroad and forced to conduct scams under threats of violence.
The Justice Department said the latest effort included a “first-of-its-kind” seizure of a Telegram channel used to recruit workers to Cambodia under false job offers, while authorities have restrained more than US$700 million (S$895.25 million) in cryptocurrency tied to the schemes and taken down over 500 fraudulent websites.
Huang and Jiang were arrested on immigration charges by Thai authorities in early 2026 and remain in custody in Thailand.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office, with assistance from the FBI’s legal attaché in Bangkok and Thai authorities. It was not immediately clear if Huang and Jiang are contesting the allegations.
“We have an extradition treaty with Thailand and a strong one,” Ms Pirro said. “So we continue to pursue and will continue to pursue all of the options available to us to get these individuals into the United States to prosecute them here.”
The US in October unsealed a federal indictment accusing China-born Chen Zhi of leading a vast transnational scam syndicate and criminal network. It said Chen, his associates and related companies operated scam centres that stole money from victims worldwide and laundered billions of dollars in funds.
The US at the time said he was at large but being sought; Chen was subsequently arrested in Cambodia and then extradited to China instead of the US. He has denied the allegations. BLOOMBERG