Tustin Man Sentenced to 17½ Years in Federal Prison for Leading Ring that Trafficked Hundreds of Pounds of Meth to Other Nations

LOS ANGELES – An Orange County man was sentenced today to 210 months in federal prison for leading a transnational drug trafficking organization that exported wholesale amounts of methamphetamine – concealed within commercial products such as food storage buckets and customized metal boxes – to Australia and Papua New Guinea. 

Hoang Xuan Le, 43, a.k.a. “Big Bro,” of Tustin, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who also ordered him to pay a fine of $50,000. 

Le pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of conspiracy to export controlled substances. 

From no later than July 2020 to October 2021, Le and co-defendant Tri Buinguyen, 40, a.k.a. “Bro,” of Garden Grove, communicated with members of the drug trafficking organization in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They then arranged for the export of bulk quantities of drugs from the United States to these nations via air cargo and ocean freight, concealing the drugs in a variety of commercial products and falsifying their true nature on the manifests and customs documents.

The defendants used phones equipped with military-grade encryption software and encrypted messaging applications, particularly “Signal,” to coordinate the export of drugs from the United States. They also used fictitious names, businesses, and email accounts to communicate with intermediaries, including vendors, freight forwarders, shipping companies, customs brokers, and customs officials in the United States and foreign countries, to fraudulently disguise the drugs as legitimate commercial products.

In his plea agreement, Le admitted to participating in and overseeing at least two shipments of narcotics from the United States to the Indo-Pacific region. In August 2020, Le directed the shipment of approximately 30 kilograms (66.1 pounds) of methamphetamine concealed in metal boxes to Australia. From April 2021 to September 2021, Le directed the shipment to Papua New Guinea of approximately 150 kilograms (330.7 pounds) of methamphetamine concealed in food storage buckets. Law enforcement intercepted both shipments.

“On top of the sophistication and reach of this drug trafficking organization, [Le] played a critical leadership role in it,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Le] oversaw international drug shipments, asked for updates on the shipments’ status and location, communicated with co-conspirators abroad, and arranged for drug shipments through air cargo and ocean freight. This was a wide-ranging, lucrative, and sophisticated international narcotics conspiracy, and [Le] was its leader in the United States.”

On February 24, Buinguyen was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison and fined $50,000 for his role in the conspiracy. He pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of conspiracy to export controlled substances. Buinguyen admitted to his role in the two drug shipments, plus additional shipments in August and September of 2022 of 32 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed in ready-to-eat meal packets that were delivered to New Zealand and were intercepted by law enforcement there.

Co-defendants Trung Buinguyen, 41, of Lakewood, and Narongsak Champy, 29, of Long Beach, are charged with one count of conspiracy to export controlled substances and one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Law enforcement is seeking both defendants.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated this matter. The following agencies provided substantial assistance to this investigation: United States Postal Inspection Service; the Drug Enforcement Administration; United States Customs and Border Protection; the Australian Federal Police; the Australian Border Force; the Australian Department of Homeland Affairs – Intelligence Division; the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary; the Papua New Guinea Customs Service; and the New Zealand Customs Service. 

This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and HSI. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 

Assistant United States Attorney Gregg E. Marmaro of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.