Chinese man charged in New York for transnational drug trafficking and money laundering, pleads not guilty
Reported by Chinese-language news in the United States: Zhi Dong Zhang (Zhi Dong Zhang, transliterated), also known as "Wang Ge," a Chinese national accused of drug smuggling, previously escaped from Mexico and was arrested in Cuba before being handed over to the United States. He now faces charges of smuggling large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl into the United States. On Wednesday, Zhang Zhi Dong made his first court appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Federal officials allege that Zhang Zhi Dong led a vast transnational drug smuggling and money laundering network, supplying thousands of kilograms of drugs to the United States and other countries, and handling millions of dollars in illicit proceeds.
Todd Blanche, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States, stated in a statement: "The defendant is charged with operating a global criminal organization that has supplied our communities with large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, and laundered millions of dollars in proceeds from drug sales. His return to the United States is an important step in dismantling this network that fuels addiction, violence, and death."
The prosecution said that the criminal organization has been active in Mexico since at least 2016, establishing shell companies in the United States using false social security numbers and fraudulent documents for money laundering. It was found that at least 100 shell companies related to the organization were used to launder at least $77 million in drug money.
According to court documents, in October 2024, Mexican authorities arrested Zhang Zhi Dong in Mexico City at the request of the U.S. government. However, after a judge approved his house arrest, he successfully escaped from a military-guarded residence. The prosecution claims that he fled to Cuba and was eventually arrested there, and was handed over to the United States on October 23.
Zhang Zhi Dong remains in custody and is expected to appear in court again in January next year. In addition to the charges in New York, he is also facing federal charges in Georgia for related crimes.
Materials submitted to the court show that Zhang Zhi Dong's organization uses the Atlanta and Los Angeles metropolitan areas as trafficking hubs, smuggling large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl into the United States. It is alleged that the proceeds from his drug sales were hidden in multiple locations in Georgia and California, then transferred into accounts that he could withdraw from in Mexico. (American Chinese Television)
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1849363043067971/
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