Posted on 10/29/2025 8:55:50 AM PDT by DFG
He went by many names — Brother Wang, Mr Haha, Mr T, even Nelson Mandela.
But to American agents, Zhi Dong Zhang was one thing only: the face of the world's fentanyl empire.
The 38-year-old Chinese national, wanted by both the US and Mexico, was snared in Cuba after one of the biggest manhunts in modern narcotics history.
Zhang, who stands just over five foot seven, small and wiry with an unkempt look, has been accused of flooding the world with synthetic poison — and of laundering millions through a web of ghost companies, secret accounts and offshore havens.
Investigators say Zhang ran a global network linking Chinese chemical suppliers to Mexico's most violent cartels — the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
Both groups are now classified by Washington as foreign terrorist groups.
The Mexican Attorney General's Office called him 'responsible for establishing connections with other cartels to transfer fentanyl from China to Central America, South America, Europe and the United States.'
His empire spanned four continents, with luxury hideouts in Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta and Cancún.
Between 2020 and 2021, the syndicate allegedly trafficked 1,800 kilos of fentanyl, 1,000 kilos of cocaine and 600 kilos of methamphetamine.
In his coded communications, 'coffee' meant fentanyl. 'Food' meant cocaine.
American prosecutors say Zhang laundered at least $20 million in drug profits in just two years.
His network used 150 shell companies and 170 bank accounts, keeping transfers under $100,000 to stay below radar.
The system had two halves. A Mexican cell gathered the cartel's cash.
A Chinese cell cleaned it through US banks and offshore shells.
Authorities say it was a criminal operation of staggering precision — part drug empire, part financial fortress.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...

"Zhang was initially busted in Mexico but managed to escape from house arrest through a tunnel"
Interesting.
With tacit - if not direct - approval of CCP heads...
Sidebar: If/when they follow the $$, I wonder how tainted dems - including the napper’s family - would be.
FTA—American prosecutors say Zhang laundered at
least $20 million in drug profits in just two years.
<><>His network used 150 shell companies and 170 bank accounts,
<><>Zhang kept bank transfers under $100,000 to stay below l/e radar.
<><>The system had two halves. A Mexican cell gathered the cartel’s cash.
<><>A Chinese cell cleaned it through US banks and offshore shells.
<><>Authorities say it was a criminal operation of staggering precision —
<><> part drug empire, part financial fortress.
China must have wanted him off the streets otherwise Cuba would have welcomed him and his money with open arms.
Cuba has a long history of being the last refuge of billionaire scoundrels
“American prosecutors say Zhang laundered at least $20 million in drug profits in just two years.”
Does anyone else think that $20 million over 2 years seems paltry for the size of operation the article implies (”syndicate behind 100,000 American deaths per year”)? Where are the other billion$?
Escaped, hum, was he on one of those boats blasted out of the sea.
Zhang’s lucrative drug system had two entities.
<><>A Mexican cell helpfully gathered the drug cartel’s cash.
<><>A Chinese cell laundered the dirty drug bucks via US banks and offshore shells.
—
So l/e knows the names of banks laundering drug monies......?
When are they going to do something about it?
I agree. Granted $20M is more than I have in my pocket right now. It’s “a lot” but in terms of global drug dealing and money laundering, $20M seems like nothing.
But all asians are super honorable! /s
Interesting read. Not clear, but it looks like the Chicom/cartel union got stretched by this guy. The cartels successfully corrupted the Mexicans, but the Chicoms told the Cubans to nab him. I also thought it interesting that he went to Cuba from Mexico via Russia. I also wonder why the Cubans didn’t just take his drug money like they do with the South American drug runners.
We’ll hear more of this guy in the future.
Probably works for MSS in the Shanghai State Security Bureau division.
TRANSFERS “UNDER $100,000” TO STAY BELOW THE RADAR???????
I THOUGHT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY REPORTS (SARS) WERE TRIGGERED AT $10,000...
He probably shorted his masters.
Which means he’s been replaced and his arrest is inconsequential to stopping fentanyl.
It was my understanding that if I withdrew $3k that I was ‘on a list.’
Can’t wait to see what happens after my last cash deposit to pay my taxes... /s
The Great Leap Forward - Sarah Paine
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jl9msJRuAMg?feature=share
The ccp is now at this time and will continue and for the see-able
future to rape the 3rd world and destroy them with unplayable debt.
They through their proxy’s are a direct to threat to freedom and
democracy world wide. They lie, they steel, they graft and grift, they
cheat, putting their hands in anyone pockets they can and should never be trusted.
The ccp and china it’s self is riddled with graft, bribery and ToFo
building. They chip away at safety protocols in building as we know and they also cut corners with research - Can you say Covid-19 and the Lab leak from wuhan. From a ToFo building, in a ToFu lab, run by ToFu researchers who cheated their way through school to get that cushy government jobs.
The destruction and rape of Tibet is an on going crime against humanity and a tragedy.
The ccp, china are not threats?
Look again.
Yeah just ignore the chinese guy with the gun ... ignore the hand on
your wallet or purse.
They setup fake ccp police offices in NYC, they are buying properties in our country ringing our military installations. The ccp set up birth vacations so they can have chinese born her in the US so later they can come back with citizenship to worm their way further in to our lands, our government, our military.
The chinese people are mandated by chinese law to spy, cheat and steel. To lie. The chinese have no morals, no character, no integrity they have all been socially lobotomized. They are dog robbers.
The few who are not damage are few and far between. And they with out let or reservation will say the same thing I have said here.
Kick them out of our university, confiscate the property they bought
around our military bases. Slash and limit the number of foreign
nationals china can have at they embassy, thin out their mission to the UN as well.
Tax and tariff them the same as the do to us. the ccp, china can not
survive with out us but we can survive with out them.
REMEMBER!
Where there is two or more of ccp mainland chinese gathered together there is theft and graft..........
It’s ingrained in their minds, their bodies, culturally, intellectually and by government decree.
To be absolutely frank it only takes one of them....
They believe if you ain’t lying, you ain’t tryin!....
Preaching to the choir, FRiend.
But one little thing: Nothing’s being done under this administration.
The last analysis I saw on the topic
and the last ‘news’
and the last ‘arrests’
and the last news about possible sentencing (May ‘25)
and that’s where everything dries up.
If the DJT administration is doing anything about the ccp here, it’s not stopping their purchase of lands near military facilities, closing ccp offices on college campuses, incarcerating fake police thugs or decimating the chinese mafia who is poisoning our streets, etc.
In fact, I find nothing about this administration doing anything whatsoever.
At face value, it appears ccp $$ carries weight even with DJT and the so-called ‘tariff war’ is all theater. Just sayin.
smh
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