Chinese Narco-Trafficker at the Heart of Global Drug Network Escapes Mexican Custody

On July 11, 2025, Zhi Dong Zhang — a Chinese national and key operator for both the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) — escaped from house arrest in Cuajimalpa de Morelos, Mexico City. The escape occurred eight months after his high-profile arrest in October 2024. Zhang had been under the custody of Mexico’s National Guard due to charges related to drug trafficking and money laundering.

Zhang played a pivotal role as an intermediary for the transnational drug trade, managing critical supply routes of chemical precursors from China to clandestine laboratories in Mexico. These chemicals are essential for producing synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. At the time of his arrest, Zhang was accused of exporting and distributing over 1,000 kg of cocaine, 1,800 kg of fentanyl, and 600 kg of methamphetamine. He was also suspected of laundering over $150 million annually from drug proceeds.

His capture on October 30, 2024, was the result of a coordinated effort by multiple Mexican security forces, including the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), the Navy (SEMAR), the Army (SEDENA), and the Attorney General’s Office (FGR). Zhang was detained in the upscale neighborhood of Lomas de Santa Fe, also in Cuajimalpa.

Beyond his influence in Mexico, intelligence sources revealed that Zhang’s illegal activities spanned a vast geography including the United States, Central and South America, Europe, China, and Japan. He is also wanted by U.S. authorities in Atlanta, Georgia, for drug trafficking and money laundering, and was expected to be extradited to face charges there.

His case underscores growing concerns about the flow of chemical precursors from China to Mexico. A 2016 report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission already warned that as much as 90% of methamphetamine consumed in the U.S. originated in Mexico, with about 80% of the required precursors being imported from China. The DEA has consistently pointed to China as the main source of these chemicals, which are often shipped to ports like Manzanillo in Mexico before being funneled to cartel-run labs.

Zhang’s escape raises serious questions about the Mexican government’s ability to contain high-level criminal figures and may further strain U.S.–Mexico cooperation on drug enforcement.