Cuba captures alleged Chinese fentanyl kingpin wanted by US, Mexico says

Alleged trafficker, Zhi Dong Zhang, who had escaped Mexican authorities successful July, was arrested successful Cuba,

A fugitive Chinese national, whom authorities successful the United States impeach of trafficking ample quantities of fentanyl and cocaine into the state earlier being arrested and past escaping custody successful Mexico, has been recaptured successful Cuba, according to Mexican officials.

On Wednesday, Mexico’s Security Cabinet said successful a connection that the alleged trafficker, who had escaped Mexican authorities successful July, was arrested successful Cuba, but did not place him by name. A national official, who requested anonymity due to the fact that they were not authorised to sermon the case, confirmed to The Associated Press quality bureau that the fishy was Zhi Dong Zhang, besides known arsenic “Brother Wang”.

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He was indicted successful national tribunal successful Atlanta successful 2022 connected cause trafficking and wealth laundering charges. Mexican authorities captured him successful Mexico City successful October 2024 astatine the petition of the US government. But a justice granted him location arrest, and past July, helium escaped the location helium was being held successful nether subject guard.

After escaping successful Mexico, Zhang had travelled to Cuba and past to Russia, wherever helium was detained for amerciable introduction and returned to Cuba, according to different Mexican national agent, who besides requested anonymity to sermon the case. The cause said Zhang could beryllium deported to Mexico.

Cuban authorities did not respond to a petition from the AP for remark astir Zhang connected Wednesday.

Zhang’s flight successful July came astatine a delicate infinitesimal for the medication of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who was trying to clasp disconnected crushing tariffs threatened by the Trump administration, which accused Mexico of not doing capable to halt fentanyl smuggling into the US.

Government documents filed successful the Atlanta lawsuit picture a cause trafficking web led by Zhang that imported cocaine and fentanyl into the US and past distributed it done hubs successful the Atlanta and Los Angeles areas. Zhang reportedly called the drugs “coffee” and “food”, respectively, successful coded language, the tribunal documents said.

Millions of dollars from the cause income were allegedly collected astatine stash houses successful Georgia and California and deposited into accounts that Zhang could entree from Mexico, the documents said.

Zhang’s recapture comes arsenic the Trump medication escalates its determination attacks connected what it says are vessels smuggling drugs.

The US carried retired an eighth subject onslaught connected a vessel allegedly carrying illicit drugs crossed planetary waters, sidesplitting 3 people. For the archetypal time, however, the vessel successful question was not successful the Caribbean Sea but alternatively successful the Pacific Ocean. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the onslaught connected Wednesday.

The latest onslaught opens a caller beforehand successful President Donald Trump’s increasing subject run against Latin American cartels, raising questions astir the limits and legality of his actions.

In the meantime, engaging successful a caller circular of verbal sparring, Trump has called Colombian President Gustavo Petro a “thug” who is “making a batch of drugs”, and the person of the South American state has threatened ineligible enactment against Trump successful US courts.

Weeks of escalating hostility betwixt Washington and Bogota deed a caller level connected Wednesday erstwhile Trump told reporters astatine the White House helium was suspending each subject assistance to Colombia owed to its alleged relation successful the planetary narcotics commercialized and warned Petro to “watch it”.

Responding to the US president’s threat, Petro took to societal media to denote helium would instrumentality ineligible enactment against Trump’s slanderous remarks.

“From the slanders that person been formed against maine successful the territory of the United States by high-ranking officials, I volition support myself judicially with American lawyers successful the American justness system,” Petro wrote connected X.