Drug trafficking suspect handed to US

NEW YORK -- A Chinese drug trafficking suspect who escaped custody in Mexico only to be recaptured in Cuba has been turned over to the U.S. to face charges he trafficked large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl into the country.

Zhi Zhang pleaded innocent to the charges at his arraignment Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court. His lawyer declined to comment following the court appearance.

"The defendant stands accused of running a global enterprise that pumped massive quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine into our communities and laundered millions in narcotics proceeds," U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement.

Zhang's criminal organization operated out of Mexico going back at least to 2016 and laundered its drug

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