MEXICO CITY — One of the world’s biggest fentanyl traffickers, Zhi Dong Zhang, also known as Brother Wang has been handed over to U.S. authorities after a months-long international chase, according to officials.
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Zhang was first arrested in Mexico City in October 2024. He was accused of running a massive drug and money-laundering operation connected to the Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación cartels, with ties reaching into the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
A Mexican judge later granted him house arrest, a decision that drew heavy criticism. Zhang escaped in July 2025, triggering an international search. He was found weeks later in Cuba, where he was arrested along with two others.
Resultado de labores de investigación, cooperación internacional y coordinación, el 30 de octubre de 2024 autoridades mexicanas del @GabSeguridadMX detuvieron en la Ciudad de México a Zhi Dong “N”, identificado como responsable del tráfico internacional de droga, lavado de dinero… pic.twitter.com/0J3ieN3uE3
— Omar H Garcia Harfuch (@OHarfuch) October 24, 2025
Officials from Mexico, Cuba, and the U.S. worked together to return Zhang to U.S. custody. Investigators say his network moved large amounts of fentanyl and cocaine and laundered millions of dollars through fake companies and major banks.
U.S. prosecutors in Georgia have charged him with drug trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime. Authorities say his capture marks a major victory in the fight against global fentanyl trafficking.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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