Zhi Dong Zhang, a Chinese national accused of leading a major drug trafficking operation, has been extradited to the United States after being recaptured in Cuba.
Zhang, who is also known by the alias “Brother Wang,” pleaded not guilty to charges of trafficking large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl during his arraignment in Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday.
“The defendant stands accused of running a global enterprise that pumped massive quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine into our communities and laundered millions in narcotics proceeds,” U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. “His return to the United States is a major step in dismantling a network that has fueled addiction, violence, and death.”
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Federal officials allege that Zhang operated a vast drug trafficking and money laundering network that imported thousands of kilograms of narcotics into the United States and other countries.
Zhang’s organization reportedly laundered at least $77 million through more than 100 shell companies using false social security numbers and other fraudulent documents. Mexican authorities initially captured Zhang in Mexico City in October 2024 at the request of the U.S. government, but he escaped from house arrest before being recaptured in Cuba.
Zhang also faces related federal charges in Georgia, where government documents describe a cocaine and fentanyl trafficking network with hubs in the Atlanta and Los Angeles metro areas.
Zhang’s extradition and upcoming trial mark a significant step in the U.S. government’s efforts to dismantle a major international drug trafficking network.
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