Cuba arrests Chinese fentanyl kingpin Zhi Dong Zhang, wanted by US

Cuba has arrested Chinese fentanyl kingpin Zhi Dong Zhang, also known as "Brother Wang." Zhang, who escaped from custody in Mexico, is wanted by the United States.

Zhi Dong Zhang is alleged to have collaborated closely with Mexico"s Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation drug cartels, both of which have been designated as "foreign terrorist organizations" by the U.S. government. He is reported to have transported over 1,000 kilograms of cocaine and nearly 2,000 kilograms of fentanyl from Mexico to the U.S. Additionally, between 2020 and 2021, Zhang allegedly laundered approximately $20 million through a complex network of over 150 shell companies and 170 bank accounts.

The arrest was confirmed by the Cuban Security Secretariat. It remains unclear whether Zhang will be deported back to Mexico or if a formal extradition process will be initiated.

Zhang was detained in Mexico in October 2024 and was held in a maximum-security prison in Mexico City while awaiting a hearing for his extradition to the U.S., where a warrant had been issued for his arrest on money laundering charges. However, he was granted house arrest by a judge, and on July 11, 2025, he escaped by reportedly digging a tunnel from his monitored residence to another property.

Zhang is considered a major international money laundering operator and was responsible for establishing connections with other cartels for the transfer of fentanyl from China to Central America, South America, Europe, and the U.S.

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