Chinese National Gets 12 Years and a $22 Million Judgment for Moving Cocaine for the CJNG Cartel
Wenshen Xu ran a transport network out of Honduras that moved more than 450 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, prosecutors say. He pleaded guilty to material support for a designated terrorist group. Details come from the Justice Department via Breitbart Texas.
A federal judge has sentenced a Chinese national to 12 years in prison for moving cocaine for one of Mexico's most violent cartels, Breitbart Texas reports.
The sentence. Late last week, 52-year-old Wenshen Xu was sentenced and ordered to pay a $22 million judgment. He pleaded guilty on June 30 to drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy, and to providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG). Breitbart notes CJNG is one of seven Mexican cartels the US designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations in January 2025.
The network. Based on information the Justice Department gave Breitbart Texas, Xu lived in Honduras and, since 2023, ran a transportation network that moved more than 450 kilograms of cocaine from Cali, Colombia, mostly for CJNG. Authorities say the network used airstrips, airports, armored cars and associates across Latin America. Prosecutors say he also ran a conspiracy to launder more than $22 million in profits through cryptocurrency, trade-based money laundering and encrypted communications.
The arrest. Authorities arrested Xu in Guatemala in 2025, after the group had planned a large shipment, and extradited him to the United States in January.
What we could not check. The facts come from the Justice Department as relayed by Breitbart Texas. We have not seen the court filings, and the report does not say which court sentenced Xu. The description of Xu as an "operative" in the headline is Breitbart's wording.