Drug Cartels' New Weapon: Chinese Money Launderers

The podcast "The Journal" investigates Chinese Money Laundering Organizations (CMLOs) and their increasing role in laundering money for Mexican drug cartels. It begins with law enforcement tracking Jiayang Yu, who is suspected of laundering money, as he makes large cash deposits into banks. The podcast then explores the reasons behind the rise of CMLOs, including Chinese laws limiting the outflow of money from China, and how these organizations undercut traditional money launderers by offering lower commissions. The episode focuses on Operation Fortune Runner, an investigation into Sai Zhang, the alleged ringleader of a Chinese money laundering network. Investigators were able to link Zhang's network to the Sinaloa cartel through surveillance and a photograph of Zhang's associate with a member of the cartel. Despite the arrest of Zhang and several associates, authorities believe this is just the tip of the iceberg, and the cartels will adapt by developing new networks.