Authorities warn of the escape of Zhi Dong Zhang, a Chinese citizen linked to the Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG.

Chinese citizen Zhi Dong Zhang, accused by authorities of money laundering and drug trafficking, escaped this Friday from a home in Mexico City where he was in custody, federal sources confirmed to this newspaper. The Attorney General's Office has issued a search warrant but has not provided further details about the escape. Zhi, who was arrested on October 31, is linked to the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), criminal groups with which he allegedly worked as an intermediary in the logistics of distributing chemical inputs for the production of drugs such as fentanyl and methamphetamines. Omar García Harfuch , Secretary of Security, said last year that the arrest of the Chinese citizen would prevent "financial resources from reaching criminal structures." Zhi was under house arrest pending extradition to the United States.

The Chinese citizen was under surveillance by National Guard members at a home in Santa Fe, on the outskirts of Mexico City. The Attorney General's Office issued a search warrant on Friday showing the face of Zhi, who is known by the aliases Brother Wang , El Chino , Tocayo, and Nelson Mandela , among others. Authorities ask that any leads be reported to the Navy. A source from the Attorney General's Office consulted by this newspaper has not provided further details about the search warrant.

Authorities consider Zhi a key player in the logistics for the distribution of chemical inputs for drug production for the Jalisco Nueva Generación and Jalisco New Generation cartels. Sinaloa, two of Mexico's most powerful and brutal criminal groups, are engaged in open warfare for control of vast territories. Neither the Attorney General's Office nor the Ministry of Security has released any information about the man's escape.

The Chinese national was arrested in October in a coordinated operation between the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar), the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena), and the Attorney General's Office (FGR). Authorities issued an arrest warrant "for international extradition purposes for his probable responsibility in the commission of crimes of criminal association, international distribution of cocaine, and operations with illicit proceeds," the institutions reported in a joint statement.

Intelligence work determined that Zhi was traveling between the State of Mexico and the capital. “After conducting surveillance and tracking operations, a coordinated operation was carried out at a property located in Lomas de Santa Fe, Cuajimalpa de Morelos, Mexico City, where, after verifying Zhi Dong N's identity, an arrest warrant was served for extradition to the United States. As a result of the investigation, it was learned that Zhi Dong N, a Chinese national, has a federal arrest warrant for drug trafficking and money laundering issued in Atlanta, Georgia,” authorities reported.

Zhi is accused of being responsible for the export, transportation, and distribution of more than 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, 1,800 kilograms of fentanyl, and more than 600 kilograms of methamphetamine. "Furthermore, it is known that he has illicitly operated over $150 million annually in drug profits. Intelligence work revealed that Zhi Dong N's illegal activities took place in the United States, Central America, South America, Europe, China, and Japan," authorities reported. The Chinese national is also accused of forming alliances with Mexican criminal organizations to carry out trafficking.