An alleged Chinese drug lord responsible for trafficking thousands of pounds of fentanyl was arrested and extradited to the U.S. after an elaborate escape attempt from house arrest in Mexico.
Zhi Dong Zhang, known as “Brother Wang,” was extradited by Mexican authorities to the U.S. after fleeing house arrest, escaping first to Cuba and then to Russia under a false identity. Zhang allegedly trafficked thousands of pounds of cocaine and fentanyl into the U.S. while also being a key supplier to Mexican drug cartels for precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has labelled Zhang as a Consolidated Priority Organization Target, a top designation reserved for criminals with an extensive documented history, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Zhang fled to Cuba on a private jet after escaping house arrest in Mexico, infuriating the Mexican government, which saw the escape as an embarrassment, according to the WSJ. In Cuba, he then flew to Russia under a false identity.
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Russia swiftly returned him to Cuba despite seemingly not knowing his true identity, as he would likely have been held for interrogation to gather intel about the U.S.’s criminal underworld if Russian authorities were aware of Zhang’s false name, people familiar with the case told the WSJ. Cuba is now holding Zhang pending his extradition to the U.S., likely taking their time with his deportation to extract intel about his criminal connections.
Zhang’s extradition order alleges the drug lord is responsible for smuggling more than 2,000 pounds of cocaine, 4,000 pounds of fentanyl and over 1,300 pounds of methamphetamines to the U.S., according to the WSJ.
The Trump administration has declared a war on Latin American drug cartels, designating them terrorist organizations while launching multiple strikes on boats transporting drugs in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
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