Reward issued for information on fentanyl kingpin

A $5 million dollar reward is being offered for info that leads to the arrest and conviction of a key leader of a drug trafficking organization with ties to North Dakota.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and U. S. Department of State are searching for Jian Zhang of the People’s Republic of China.

According to a 2017 federal indictment from the U. S. Attorney’s Office in North Dakota Zhang ran an organization that manufactured fentanyl in four known labs in China and sold product to U. S. customers over the internet.   Authorities say the controlled substances resulted in the overdose deaths of four individuals in North Dakota…Oregon…North Carolina…and New Jersey.  Among those who died was an 18-year old Grand Forks resident.

Several of the U.S. nationals have already been convicted and sentenced to penalties ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment.