A Chinese national, Wenshen Xu, 52, based in Honduras, has confessed in a US federal court to smuggling large amounts of cocaine into the United States, laundering over USD 22 million from drug sales, and aiding the Mexican drug cartel ‘Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG)’. Xu acknowledged involvement in importing cocaine, money laundering, and supporting the CJNG, recognized as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation by the US.
Xu managed a network in Latin America, utilizing airstrips, airports, armored vehicles, couriers, and associates to transport multi-kilogram cocaine shipments into the US. In a specific instance on July 17, 2025, Xu and his partners agreed to move a multi-kilogram cocaine consignment from Cali, Colombia, for an individual linked to the CJNG. This operation resulted in importing more than 450 kilograms of cocaine into the US.
Authorities revealed that Xu and his accomplices funneled over USD 22 million from cocaine and fentanyl sales through cryptocurrency transactions, trade-based money laundering, and encrypted communication platforms. Xu was apprehended in Guatemala City on July 17, 2025, at the US’s behest and extradited on January 30. He awaits sentencing on October 15, facing a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a potential life sentence.
The CJNG, a prominent and violent criminal group in Mexico, engages in drug trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime across the Americas. US authorities have escalated efforts to disrupt the cartel’s supply chains and financial networks as part of a broader anti-narcotics trafficking initiative.
