Nov 19: 
citizen Zhi Dong Zhang (张智栋), aka “GG,” “Kun Li Hernandez,” “Chang Li Gong Sun,” “Memo,” “Brother Wang,” “BW,” “Pancho,” “HeHe,” “HaHa,” “Chino,” and “Summor Ownor,” 38, was arraigned before US Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky for the Eastern District of New York at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, on a second superseding indictment (the Indictment) charging him with international cocaine distribution conspiracy, international cocaine distribution, cocaine importation conspiracy, cocaine and methamphetamine possession and distribution conspiracy, and money laundering crimes. Zhang was arrested in Mexico after Mexico issued an arrest warrant based on extradition requests from the Eastern District of New York and the Northern District of Georgia and was returned to the US on Oct 23. He was ordered detained pending trial. On Oct 24, Zhang had an initial appearance in the Southern District of Texas, where he was arraigned on this Indictment and on the indictment in the Northern District of Georgia.
Zhang has been designated a Consolidated Priority Organization Target (CPOT) by the Department of Justice, a designation given to the most significant narcotics traffickers in the world.
The EDNY Indictment
Since June 2016, Zhang has operated a massive narcotics trafficking and money laundering organization in Mexico and the US, importing thousands of kilograms of narcotics, including cocaine and methamphetamine, into the US and other countries. Law enforcement has made numerous seizures of narcotics traced to the defendant’s organization, including 46 kg of cocaine, 58 kg of methamphetamine, and almost 7 kg of fentanyl.
Zhang and members of his organization also laundered millions of dollars of criminal proceeds from these narcotics sales through the creation and use of shell companies in the US, which were opened using false social security numbers and other fraudulent documents. The organization recruited individuals known as “banqueros” to open bank accounts at various banks on behalf of the shell companies, engage in money pickups at different money drop locations throughout the US, deposit that money into the shell company bank accounts, and wire the funds to other beneficiary accounts to be laundered outside of the US. The organization employed supervisors in Mexico, known as “coordinators,” who directed the banqueros at every step of the process, including coordinating the money pick-ups, buying and booking travel, and providing the fraudulent documentation to open bank accounts. In total, law enforcement identified more than 100 shell companies tied to Zhang’s organization that were used to launder at least $77 million in narcotics proceeds.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
This case is being handled by the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section as part of the work of the Office’s Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike Force.
The NDGA Indictment
Zhang was allegedly a leader of a vast drug trafficking and money laundering organization that began operating in Mexico at least as early as 2016. Zhang allegedly used an extensive network of coordinators and couriers to get cocaine and fentanyl to multiple destinations in the US. In Jan and Feb 2022, Zhang personally negotiated and coordinated the delivery of 11 kg of cocaine and 1 kg of fentanyl to Atlanta for distribution.
Once the cocaine and fentanyl were distributed, Zhang allegedly oversaw the use of stash houses in Georgia and California to collect the drug proceeds which were then deposited into bank accounts. The money laundering was massive and involved 150 companies, 170 bank accounts and ~$20 million in drug proceeds.
justice.gov/opa/pr/drug-tr
citizen Zhi Dong Zhang (张智栋), aka “GG,” “Kun Li Hernandez,” “Chang Li Gong Sun,” “Memo,” “Brother Wang,” “BW,” “Pancho,” “HeHe,” “HaHa,” “Chino,” and “Summor Ownor,” 38, was arraigned before US Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky for the Eastern District of New York at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, on a second superseding indictment (the Indictment) charging him with international cocaine distribution conspiracy, international cocaine distribution, cocaine importation conspiracy, cocaine and methamphetamine possession and distribution conspiracy, and money laundering crimes. Zhang was arrested in Mexico after Mexico issued an arrest warrant based on extradition requests from the Eastern District of New York and the Northern District of Georgia and was returned to the US on Oct 23. He was ordered detained pending trial. On Oct 24, Zhang had an initial appearance in the Southern District of Texas, where he was arraigned on this Indictment and on the indictment in the Northern District of Georgia.
Zhang has been designated a Consolidated Priority Organization Target (CPOT) by the Department of Justice, a designation given to the most significant narcotics traffickers in the world.
The EDNY Indictment
Since June 2016, Zhang has operated a massive narcotics trafficking and money laundering organization in Mexico and the US, importing thousands of kilograms of narcotics, including cocaine and methamphetamine, into the US and other countries. Law enforcement has made numerous seizures of narcotics traced to the defendant’s organization, including 46 kg of cocaine, 58 kg of methamphetamine, and almost 7 kg of fentanyl.
Zhang and members of his organization also laundered millions of dollars of criminal proceeds from these narcotics sales through the creation and use of shell companies in the US, which were opened using false social security numbers and other fraudulent documents. The organization recruited individuals known as “banqueros” to open bank accounts at various banks on behalf of the shell companies, engage in money pickups at different money drop locations throughout the US, deposit that money into the shell company bank accounts, and wire the funds to other beneficiary accounts to be laundered outside of the US. The organization employed supervisors in Mexico, known as “coordinators,” who directed the banqueros at every step of the process, including coordinating the money pick-ups, buying and booking travel, and providing the fraudulent documentation to open bank accounts. In total, law enforcement identified more than 100 shell companies tied to Zhang’s organization that were used to launder at least $77 million in narcotics proceeds.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
This case is being handled by the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section as part of the work of the Office’s Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike Force.
The NDGA Indictment
Zhang was allegedly a leader of a vast drug trafficking and money laundering organization that began operating in Mexico at least as early as 2016. Zhang allegedly used an extensive network of coordinators and couriers to get cocaine and fentanyl to multiple destinations in the US. In Jan and Feb 2022, Zhang personally negotiated and coordinated the delivery of 11 kg of cocaine and 1 kg of fentanyl to Atlanta for distribution.
Once the cocaine and fentanyl were distributed, Zhang allegedly oversaw the use of stash houses in Georgia and California to collect the drug proceeds which were then deposited into bank accounts. The money laundering was massive and involved 150 companies, 170 bank accounts and ~$20 million in drug proceeds.
justice.gov/opa/pr/drug-tr
Quote
Byron Wan
@Byron_Wan
According to Chinese social media, drug boss Zhi Dong Zhang — 张智栋 (Zhang Zhidong) — studied Spanish at Peking University’s School of Foreign Languages during 2006 - 2010. He graduated in 2010. x.com/Byron_Wan/stat…
Zhi Dong Zhang — 张智栋 (Zhang Zhidong) — studied Spanish at Peking University’s School of Foreign Languages during 2006 - 2010. He graduated in 2010. x.com/Byron_Wan/stat…