Mexico has handed over an alleged Chinese fentanyl kingpin to U.S. authorities, where he is wanted on money laundering and drug trafficking charges.
According to CNNE, Zhi Dong Zhang is charged in court documents with exporting, transporting and distributing more than 1,000 kg of cocaine and 1,800 kg of fentanyl, as well as laundering more than $150 million in illegal profits annually.
Investigators allege that the Chinese nationals, also known as “Brother Wang,” operated in the United States, Central America, Europe, China and Japan and partnered with Mexican criminal organizations to carry out human trafficking.
Zhang was first arrested in Mexico last October and was granted house arrest while awaiting a court hearing for extradition to the United States.
He escaped from house arrest on July 11 this year but was later rearrested in Cuba, Minister of National Security Omar García Harfucci said in a post on X.
“Today he was handed over to the U.S. authorities,” Harfucci said Thursday.
He thanked the Cuban government for its “valuable cooperation” in recapturing Zhang.
CNN has reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice for comment.
Fentanyl is the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States, and the U.S. government has accused China of failing to curb the influx of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said fentanyl will be a top topic of discussion when he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping next week as part of his Asia tour, the White House said, Reuters reported.
“The first question I’m going to ask him is about fentanyl,” Trump said. “I’ll put it at the top of the list.”
The Chinese government accused the US of trying to “blackmail” China over the issue.
Asked about Zhang’s case at a regular press conference on Friday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “We are not aware of the specific situation.”
