NewsLa OpiniónOctober 30, 2026Los Angeles County
US court sentences Chinese businessman Wenshen Xu to 12 years for drug trafficking and supporting the CJNG
Photo: La Opinión
A federal court sentenced 52-year-old Chinese citizen Wenshen Xu to 12 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $22 million fine for drug trafficking, money laundering, and providing material support to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Xu utilized an international logistics network spanning Latin America to smuggle cocaine and launder tens of millions in drug proceeds using cryptocurrency, trade-based laundering, and encrypted communications.
Read the full story at La OpiniónWhy It Matters
The sentencing removes a major transnational logistics and financial facilitator responsible for importing over 450 kilograms of cocaine into the United States and laundering more than $22 million in drug proceeds between November 2023 and July 2025.
Key Facts
- Wenshen Xu, a 52-year-old Chinese citizen residing in Honduras, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
- Xu received an additional five years of supervised release and a $22 million fine.
- He was convicted of conspiring to import cocaine, conspiring to launder drug money, and providing material support to the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
- Xu used a transportation network including landing strips, airports, and armored vehicles to smuggle multi-kilogram cocaine loads into the United States.
- He was arrested in Guatemala on July 17, 2025, at the request of the United States.
- Between November 2023 and his arrest, Xu's network imported over 450 kilograms of cocaine into the United States.
- His network coordinated the laundering of over $22 million from cocaine and fentanyl sales.
- Money laundering methods included cryptocurrency transfers, trade-based laundering, and encrypted communication platforms.
- Xu was extradited to the United States on January 30.
Who's Mentioned
PersonA. Tysen Duva“Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ Criminal Division”locationCali“Colombian city where a cocaine shipment was arranged”locationHonduras“Country of residence for Wenshen Xu”locationColombia“Source country for cocaine shipments”PersonWenshen Xu“52-year-old Chinese citizen convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering”OrganizationEmbajada de Estados Unidos en Guatemala“US Embassy in Guatemala”locationEstados Unidos“Country where Xu was prosecuted, sentenced, and where drugs were imported”PersonTheophani K. Stamos“First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia”OrganizationOficina de Asuntos Internacionales del Departamento de Justicia“Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice”OrganizationCártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación“Foreign terrorist organization designated by the US that received material suppo”locationGuatemala“Country where Xu was arrested and extradited from”OrganizationDepartamento de Estado de Estados Unidos“US Department of State”OrganizationDepartamento de Justicia“US Department of Justice”