A Chinese drug trafficker, Zhi Dong Zhang, one of the main suppliers of fentanyl to major Mexican drug cartels and sought by the United States, has been arrested in Cuba.
“Brother Wang” and the Fentanyl Trade
The drug trafficker, known as “Brother Wang,” is accused of supplying the Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación cartels, which Washington considers the main culprits behind the fentanyl trade on its territory. The US designated these cartels as “foreign terrorist organizations” in February.
- Fugitive Status: “Brother Wang” had previously been arrested in Mexico in October 2024 but was granted house arrest by a judge and subsequently fled in July of this year.
- Charges: He is wanted on an arrest warrant issued by a US federal court in Atlanta last July for money laundering.
- Role in Trafficking: Mexican authorities consider him responsible for “establishing connections with other cartels for the transfer of fentanyl from China to Central America, South America, Europe, and the US.”
Extradition Process
According to Mexican security sources, the drug trafficker remains in Cuban custody awaiting a decision on his possible extradition. While the Cuban government has not confirmed the details of the arrest, two government sources in Havana told AFP that the detainee would be extradited to Mexico, but did not specify the date or procedure.
The US has been intensely pressuring Mexico to curb the fentanyl trade, which has caused thousands of deaths in the United States. Washington also accuses China of exporting the precursor chemicals used to produce the deadly synthetic opioid.
