Overview
- Mexican and international outlets reported Thursday that security chief Omar García Harfuch said Zhang was delivered to U.S. authorities, while Cuba’s Foreign Ministry announced his extradition to Mexico.
- Zhang, known as “Brother Wang,” was detained in Cuba weeks after a July 11 escape from house arrest in Mexico, where he removed an electronic monitor and fled through a tunnel.
- Mexican sources say he was denied entry to Russia on a false passport before arriving in Cuba, which notified Mexico of his detention and coordinated with foreign counterparts.
- U.S. indictments accuse Zhang of coordinating large-scale shipments of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine for Sinaloa and CJNG and laundering more than $150 million annually.
- The case has intensified scrutiny of Mexico’s judiciary after a judge granted home confinement before the escape, and it has required complex coordination among Mexico, Cuba, the United States and Interpol.