Ryan Knudson

A Wall Street Journal analysis last year estimated that more than $250 billion had left China in a 12-month period.

One way Chinese people get money out is by turning to a shadowy network of money brokers.

These brokers have bank accounts in both China and the U.S.

and can secretly facilitate currency conversion.

And for that service, they get a cut.

As demand for that service picked up, Chinese money brokers began searching for new sources of U.S.

cash.

And that led them to one business that makes a lot of cash — drug trafficking.

I see.

So because they have this other side of the market that is a revenue stream for them, they can undercut their competitors when they're offering their services in a cartel.

Oh, wow.

That's a big price cut.

The last case Julie worked on before she stepped down at the DOJ involved one of these Chinese money laundering networks.

The investigation was known as Operation Fortune Runner, and it was centered on the group's alleged ringleader, a man called Sai Zhang.

Zhang is awaiting trial as a result of the Fortune Runner operation.

He pleaded not guilty to money laundering and drug trafficking charges.

His lawyer didn't respond to requests for comment.

This account of Zhang's alleged scheme is based on Dylan's reporting, court documents, and conversations with people familiar with the Fortune Runner investigation.

At a high level, Chinese money laundering operations like Zhang's work like this.

When Chinese money laundering groups take all this dirty drug money from the cartels, they sell it to Chinese nationals who are looking to convert their Chinese yuan into U.S.