ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ส.ค. 2021
- This is the story of how the biggest cash bust in the history of the War on Drugs never uncovered any actual drugs.
In 2007, federal police raided the Mexico city mansion of the high-flying businessman Zhenli Ye Gon. Inside they found $207 million dollars - over two tonnes of $100 dollar bills - along with luxury cars and automatic weapons.
But who was Zhenli? How did a Chinese-Mexican businessman go from photo-ops with world leaders to allegedly supplying the Sinaloa Cartel? And how did he supposedly blow $157 million gambling in Las Vegas?
In this episode, we uncover one of the outright weirdest, least-known stories of the entire War on Drugs.
Watch more from this series:
Did the CIA Actually Sell Crack in the 1980s?
• Did the CIA Actually S...
Why Mexican Cartels Use American Guns
• Why Mexican Cartels Us...
How Mexican Drug Cartels Make Billions
• How Mexican Drug Carte...
Click here to subscribe to VICE: bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE
About VICE:
The Definitive Guide To Enlightening Information. From every corner of the planet, our immersive, caustic, ground-breaking and often bizarre stories have changed the way people think about culture, crime, art, parties, fashion, protest, the internet and other subjects that don't even have names yet. Browse the growing library and discover corners of the world you never knew existed. Welcome to VICE.
Connect with VICE:
Check out our full video catalog: bit.ly/VICE-Videos
Videos, daily editorial and more: vice.com
More videos from the VICE network: www. vicevideo
Click here to get the best of VICE daily: bit.ly/1SquZ6v
Like VICE on Facebook: vice
Follow VICE on Twitter: / vice
Follow us on Instagram: / vice
The VICE TH-cam Network:
VICE: / vice
MUNCHIES: / munchies
VICE News: / vicenews
VICELAND: / vicelandtv
Broadly: / broadly
Noisey: / noisey
Motherboard: / motherboardtv
VICE Sports: / noc
i-D: / idmagazine
Waypoint: / waypointvice - บันเทิง
WATCH NEXT: Is the War on Drugs killing the environment? - th-cam.com/video/tXAzTcKXqZI/w-d-xo.html
I'm not a fan of your videos anymore, but I figured I would suggest something to you guys, I would like to see a video of why Canada is pushing the legalization of all drug, I have a sneaking suspicion that its Asia pushing this, they are world leaders when it comes to drugs. Its worth looking into and reporting on this.
@@Jef8 I'm not a fan of your comments, but I figured I would suggest something to you, why would "Asia" (the whole continent according to you) focus on canada of all countrys? Its population is tiny.
@@gggggggggggggggggg161
ى
😊 agree with your statement you are the manager🎉
"Sir, we found 500 million $ Cash!"
"Did you say 350 million $?"
"Yes Sir, 206 million $!"
😁😅
Police: "We have just heards report of $100 million being found by the authorities"
"Sir, i was only able to confiscate $50 and scratched lottery ticket. I need put my in 2 weeks btw."
@@Manny-nm8dh "I wish you had split those $25 with me."
😂😂😂
Y’all should do a documentary on how the cops that made the bust are living now
lavish 😂
💯🤣
They really are dumb enough to buy Lambos and Ferraris
Like 400
"That number was quickly revised to $1.5 million"
I bet it was
@Super 🐉 Shenlong Lmao looks like you're the one with the issues. Hope you get some help
@Super 🐉 Shenlong what are you even trying to say? You're crazy
@Super 🐉 Shenlong one inch warrior over here
" hey man, I got kids " lol
If they tried to snag 90% of the pesos imagine how much cash they grabbed before the official report. Finders fee, transportation fee, counters fee, auditors fee. Dude probably had a billion in cash in that mansion
They're holding off bringing him to trial because they would have to account for the money they stole from the raid.
And he will have to rat on American Government and Black Projects.
Right to forfeiture? It’s all legit. You would be better off letting the money go than trying to get it back. The odds are stacked against us. 🤷🏻♂️
99
h ewill never win it the DEA mexican government and sinaloa trip partnership wont allow their secrets to be told
Or if he is found not guilty they would have 2 give it all back & I don’t think they can coz half of it will be gone
this is a certified hood classic
xDDDDDD
George Soros $250 million funding to vice news 2019
@@antisocialdistancing3 proof?
@@raccoontickler7744 copy paste my comment into search engine
Certified
I've legit never heard Spanish spoken with a Chinese accent. Respect...
Go to a chinese fast food in any country in Latin America then 😂
Or to a Chinese supermarket in Argentina.
I was thinking the same thing. I knew it existed just never saw it. Still waiting to hear a Chinese person speaking Jamaican patois
Children in Mexico have been taught to speak English and Cantonese/mandarin for over a decade now
go to any chinese place in Puerto Rico lol
The war on drugs is like pulling out a banana at a bank robbery
Well a banana would work because all you have to do is tell the bank teller to give you the money and they will you don't need a gun
..no no, THIS year it will work!..
Your brain is like driving over a banana
@@blindbackpacker2618 yes you
Here in the Philippines :P A lot of poor people either wrongly jailed or killed.
Future historians will look back on the war on drugs and be baffled at the stupidity.
Sadly the future is allready the past. Controlled dispensation of heroine for instance has been extremely successfull since the 90s... and widely ignored in America.
If a politician is against controlled legal dispensation of drugs today he is likely profiting from the illegal market.
100s of billions now n more than ever come over. Stupid endeavor for aure
Or disgusted at the reality
They will likely see it a systemic racket by various industries extracting blood money all around the world.
How you fighting a war you operating for lmao the feds are funny they are the real drug Lords you have to be slow af to not now that by now they never go after the snakes head they just get small timers but of course they can't or won't arrest themselves silly gooses😂😂😂👊🏽🖕🏼
I JUST moved to Las Vegas, and after spending about two months in major casinos on the strip? I can tell you: it’s not something that was of “the past” - it’s really evident when you see the same guys, night after night, just wearing a backpack and not even having a room - and somehow putting down over $20,000 for chips at a table, playing one hand for $50, then cashing out at the cage.
It’s happening every night.
I was doing that at Foxwoods 10 years ago lol, it’s nothing new though
@@18aplateindoors lol - I didn’t know what was happening at first! Several repeats of that cycle later I thought “oh wait… I see what’s going on…”
Hell, even the dealers know. Lol
Money laundering thru Nevada which is owned by Mormons
I Bet so bro , there are prob thousands of Those dudes on toud in Vegas so
Yeah and the agents probably slipped a stack or two onto their pockets.
I think so also
My uncle used to be high ranking official ..he literally had room like that
Blood money? You deserve all the karma that comes from your theft
@@MiniM69 lmao imaging thinking karma is a real thing
@@ousarlxsfjsbvbg8588 the thought of karma is soothing the mind of people who can't fathom how shitty people get away with their bullshit:) it's their last straw of hope that bad people will "get what they deserve", but in the real world this rarely happens. Only bad people that are also stupid and get caught and get their justice served.....
200$ million but the actual count was probably 4x, and then when it got to the auditors "real" actual count was probably $20 million. 😂 😆
Obviously don't forget it's tax deductible still 🤣 everybody taxed a little bit each
@@blindbackpacker2618 😂😆😂😆😂
And the casino totally aware of the scheme just gets a slap on the wrist amd gave back 50 mil... they made eachother 100's of millions... nuts
Those damn snakes
“They always talk about the ‘street value’ of the bust. They never use ‘hours of fun ruined’ “
- Doug Stanhope
I saw him at Comedy Zone in Charlotte in April 2018 with my late friend. Good times.
Stanhope is the best! He was here in SF the other week!
🤣
😂😂😂 👊🏻
More like hours of death prevented. The chemicals these dudes push ruin families.
"Chinese Mexican" there that's the title right there.. his the ultimate middleman yet ever..
Chinese Mexican= Philippino
@@nhva6807uhmm no.. Mexican=philippino maybe....
Have you seen this video of Criminals fainting in the courtroom?! 😂 😆 th-cam.com/video/i6-OTrzbO8I/w-d-xo.html
@@nhva6807 you beat me to the punch
It's crazy cause Chinese , Mexican stand side by side they kinda look similar , Korean and Japanese too
I wouldn't be surprised in the CIA was also involved.
You're getting there..
Contra
The same CIA infiltrated by pro communist DemoKKKrats in the 60s. MkUltra never ended btw. And the "wac seen" push (spelled phonetically to avoid suppression of free speech by Googletube) is not the only recent example.
Do some more research based on this comment please, because I’m not going to talk about it as others will not believe what I say.. all this information can be found using TOR. Governments from various countries help these cartels with everything they need. Weapons, money and most importantly immunity to any crimes they commit. It’s actually insane what truth the internet holds if you dig hard enough.
@@bIoodrust Yes ,few years ago a canadian citizen was caught in Sri Lanka for trafficking boat load of heroin from Pakistan , the sri lankan govt was approached by british intelligence agency to get him released , the british said he is their agent and is working for them , but sri lankan government refused to release him.
Lol! I lived in Mexico when this happened, I remember hearing about this on the street before it was news. FAR more to this story than what's here and it goes to the very top of the ladder...
I don't know alot about it but its fascinating, I've been telling people for years that there's no way we get the amount of drugs we do without the agencies being directly involved somehow.
Can you share some of what you've heard?
e0hedrine importer
Yes sir. He was the original plug for the liquid ls needed to cook meth
Nothing happens in that large of scale without the government knowing. That’s a fact.
When I was 18 (in 2002), I met this man in a LV casino by chance. He was blowing thru countless millions at a high roller's / whale table, surrounded by women. He lost over 10 million USD in under 30 minutes (from what people were saying) and was just laughing about it - then he ordered up another $20M in chips like it was nothing. Makes sense why now - it was prolly a money laundering operation haha. He ended up bumping into me by accident, spilling my drink. He apologized and tossed me a $1,000 chip (from the Bellagio) for the inconvenience. Can't believe it was this man.
Damn!! incredible story and nice guy
Yeh, except you were 18 and all you spilled was your capri sun.
@@carknower I had a good fake ID back then. I wasn't gambling, but I didn't turn down a few drinks. Also, Capri Sun don't really "spill" - they're in a sealed package. You'd have been better off with "shirley temple." Nice try being prickish though.
@@willrose592 🧢
yeah this happened to my buddy eric
Never really thought that a real life Señor Chang would actually exist...
He lives in the vents!
😂💯😂 😆 😂💯😆 *The HanGOveR.!*
He should've claimed innocence based on insanity..or inchangity
@@sidewalksurfer96 or claim to have changnesia and change his name to Kevin lmao
I won't be surprised if the agents took some of the money for themselves.
They definitely tried. They originally only reported 175,000 pesos when they actually found 1,500,000. I don't think they just conveniently forgot about the other 1,325,000 pesos lmao
dave mcleod I'd be more surprised if they didn't.
@@uuutwohere same here.
god forbid they forget to steal
Lol exactly, I may not believe all his story, but certainly some of its true
Vice dropping gold today
He is legit the face of a REAL plug.
Great episode, thank you vice!
wow.. this is like the Ozarks' casino plot in real life
This is the reason I subbed to this channel, Good content
Nice piece you guys just did here and it was jam packed of information. Good one and nuff respect from kingston Jamaica 🇯🇲
War on drugs. Here I come !
This just in : Drugs win the The War on Drugs
175k -> 1.5m lmao close enough
😂😂😂
You know they had plans for the rest.
😂😂😂
Bro Tom Segura was right. Seeing an Asian speak natural Spanish is crazy.
Go to Spain you will see it everywhere.
Or Chicago Flea Market
Not really👀lots of Chinese people living in Mexico speaking Spanish just like everyone else
@@rot1092 I am 100% aware. It doesn't change the fact it's crazy to watch.
I knew Japanese Mexicans. Raised south of the border when the U.S. was internment camp happy. Spoke way better Spanish than me!
What was reported, seized, and final count isn't the same amount. Catch my drift? Yeah.
175K pesos seized, 205 million USD found, 500K pesos reported.
I've always wondered the story behind that picture. I used to have it as my computer background 😂
Haha everyone did!
we live the same life. had it as my background too
😂😂🌝🥶
What happened to the large multi million drug capture on the large cargo ship. That cargo box was linked to J.P Morgan yet no investigation, no assest siezed nothing... all the massive amount of drugs float through cargo ships.
🤫
So this is where Ozark's tv series success idea came from.
Very dope show
*The man... the meth... the legend!*
Quite funny.
Moderately funny
reasonably funny
Somewhat funny
175k in pesos? Ha someone tried to make a play to keep some of that money. But the video evidence though 🤣😂😂🤣
ikr cameras be ruining everything these days
Best video in this series
These are the stories that kept the "War on Drugs" going
Imagine hiding a 100,000 brick of money while counting the money, no one would know
BIG hit to the Triads.
@CRAM MARC you know. Keep fighting the godd fight.
Not really they get replaced, now they even got a bigger source for the fent and meth
Big hit to the cartels
They was their money he just washed it for them with his businesses
Great video 📹 👍
Thanks connecting the dots... It all real makes sense, in a great way.
... ?
@@MerkleAkrunphleuphle y'alright bruh?
I'm fine. With... What ever. It all ends in pain... Red... Than it dries... To where you can tell..... May be merlot. Who knows..... Just waiting.. for the eneMy
Love your content! Stay safe everyone 🌞🧚🏽
Stay well.
Excellent job, except "copelas o cuellos" doesn't mean that you will be strangulated, if you notice there is a particular sign moving the hand across the neck, so it actually means that they will cut your head off.
Right on
"Copelas o cuello" translates to "either you coperate or you die" in english. The direct translation would be "Cooperate or neck" and the word neck is used to signal cutting someones neck. Is a common phrase in spanish. It doesn't necessarily mean "you die", it can also mean you will suffer or you will lose, or you really need to cooperate. Like saying "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse". There's a hidden meaning in the phrase that makes it sound more terrifying.
I think for the video, Vice made the author say a more tame version...
It’s cooperas not copelas that’s what he sounds like with a chinese accent 🤣🤣
I don't speak any Spanish but I knew that he must've meant they'll cut his throat open, not strangle him as they said. It'd just make more sense that way.
thanks for the update Mr. British Hipster King.
Yes! I've wanted to hear about this
Whatever they say they found just triple it and then add 30% then the number won't be far off
The biggest actual drug bust i think i heared about was around 2002, when a small plain went down in Mexico with several tons of cocain on it.
The twist on that story was that the plain was registered with a CIA owned company ^^.
Facts
True true about 150 kilos
@@eduardocostales8426 150kilos is nowhere near the largest seizure, 20 tons were seized in Philly in 2019 in one bust alone
Very interesting!
There has been shootouts here in Matamoros recently, not sure why though. Great documentary's! Keep it up bro. ✌️
My dude Jamie, always has the freshest fits
I’m scrolling through the comments to see if anyone else saw that shirt and was like: “that’s a ______ shirt” I want it! Dudes style is on point.
That shirt looks gay af.
@@davidrinehart8038 Ngl kinda true
@@davidrinehart8038 you assume he couldn't be? I've seen him wear Palace before he just has good taste in garms. Don't hate,
And I thought Heisenberg's stash impressive..
80 million not so bad
That's cash. The Sinaloa and Jalisco guys hot like $50 Billion invested in hotels, crypto & businesses
Cannot wait for the movie…this is a blockbuster!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
There’s always that next guy in line. You catch one person and there’s always someone waiting to take that spot. I say save the tax dollars on drugs and let people make their own choices.
You can say the same thing abt every kind of criminals, but you probably nvr realize it
Letting people make their own choices in this situation will lead to the cartels ruling Mexico and slaughtering more people
@@Centrioless No you can't say that for all kinds of criminals. That's a dumb statement.
"Legalize house robbing so we don't throw so many people in jail each year cause of that. Also legalize murder."
Then the real gangs and criminals (cops) would have to find a real job.
@@Gyytddfhj-vl4wy where Dey at dogg
200 million dollars is nothing in the big market of drugs, they didn't even scarved their money fein
Um...what?
@Air It Out yeah but what does 'scarved their money Fein' mean
I saw Drugs notification by Vice i immediately Clicked
this guy was the real life version of “Breaking Bad & Ozark” 😂😂😂
Imagine encountering that and having time to just fill your pockets like those 90s toys r us promotions on nickelodeon
That’s tucked up 😂 I want to congratulate drugs for winning the war on drugs
Hey vice!!! You should work on the story of D.E.A. Agent Enrique Camarena, and get the name from C.I.A agents who were responsible for his death.
There’s tons of videos and footage and documentaries and Netflix show about him lol
@@eram92 what's up bro!!!! Yeah I know, seen them too. But just throwing it out there to vice just for shits and giggles. I doubt very much it will get done by vice. ✌🤨
@@LuisRomero-qd4fz ACAB includes DEA poster child Kiki Camarena lol
I remember watching that. Kiki stood no chance. Who knows, maybe Vice will hear you....
Oh I would’ve been stashing that money in my bra, lol 😂
Everyone else was stashing, no point in missing out!
he look soo normal and calm about this situation
I’m a simple girl to entertain, I see _war on drugs_ in the title & I click.
Spoiler alert: drugs win
this kid put me to sleep. thanks for the bedtime story
You well done bro🤩
ladies and gentlemen [insert 10 year time skip] we got him!
CIA legally stole this guys money.
First thing I'd do after buying that dudes house would be to strip it bare and tear up the whole property. I'm guessing if you have that much sitting around in plain sight that someone might want to walk around the house and give the walls a few knock knocks.
Never been this quick before
Eye for eye, hand for hand, and god bless you.
It was actually 400 mil but you know…250 sounds reasonably
What's 150 Million off the Top?
well you know, it took two days to -skim- count the money
They tried to claim 175k pesos but changed it to 1.5million I’m betting dude had a billion in cash in the house XD
250 sounds more believable anyway!
4:20 I tried that with only $7500 and had to fill out paperwork and provide proof of income. I forgot rules don’t apply to you when you get rich lol.
@Hello John C, How are you doing?
Please make a full documentary on this .
Can watch this guy all day
Meanwhile here in Toronto, $5 million buys you a two bedroom apartment.
“Automatic weapons”
Shows a couple semi-automatic pistols.
They DID find automatic weapons, though
It was a joke, not a dick. Don’t take it so hard.
Besides, 5 guns is hardly a “small arsenal” but I guess to a Nancy whose never been taught or raised around guns would believe that.
nice shirt my guy
4:13 - The Punisher makes a small appearance. A valiant effort Bernthal, but we all know it’s you.
You had me at drugs
"Copelas o cuello" translates to "either you coperate or you die" in english. The direct translation would be "Cooperate or neck" and the word neck is used to signal cutting someones neck. Is a common phrase in spanish. It doesn't necessarily mean "you die", it can also mean you will suffer or you will lose, or you really need to cooperate. Like saying "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse". There's a hidden meaning in the phrase that makes it sound more terrifying.
It says as much in the subtitles when the Chinese guy is talking
Yet no government have money to fight the addiction epidemic.
I wanted to hear this but I can't ever finish videos this gentleman host and I don't know why
*My lord...that's a few tons of cash* 😳
That's why most real criminals don't deal in cash any more, it's too difficult to actually move from place to place
It is true that you can use casinos to launder money but you'd have to be doing it on the scale he was doing it, basically. They're onto everyone else trying to do that sort of thing though. Eventually they're gonna be like "OK where are you getting this money from?"
intense story
Bro looks smart he definitely got a trick up his sleeve he too calm lol
That was my uncle... worked for my dad in shanghai then branched off on his own and started exporting drugs from china...
Any one with an internet connection could easily order pure ephedrine, why'd they need this guy?
my guess is he's bringing in volume, whole shipments. & likely at a reduced price.
@@MrSimondaniel3 China didn't care who you were back then though, bulk pricing all around. They would literally ship you a fifty gallon drum of ketamine to the united states back then lol
This was in like what 2007 so it was a little different. He had the connection to large suppliers and owned a chemical company himself if I remember correctly.. maybe he beat everyone else's price who knows but they still had stuff shipped from Asia n whatever it just wasn't ordered online in that sense I believe
I remember this case when I was kid and as I remember there where 500 millions it was a whole bed of money but after a couple days the news stops.
This man is the real Heisenberg
I legit know the true story behind this from someone named el Mochomo I served time with him and talk to him regularly
No you dont
relaaaaaax 🤣
Why did they bust dude in Rockville, MD? Why was he there? Just curious cuz I worked next door when he got busted
Where you at with him?
Yeah the ultimate jackpot for the non corrupt Mexican authorities!
Good story
I'm just gonna wait for the movie to come out
dont switch the camera view to 45 degrees, its distracting and weird.
At what point do you say, “yeah I think I have enough money”
When I hit 10 billion
One thing about the war on drugs is that money is now seen as illegal if you have enough of it, even if there are no drugs ever found.
Wouldn't be surprised if some of that cash didn't make it to the count room 😂
They actually don’t mention that the money later disappeared from the Mexican police station true story
They fs kept all the money all they ass living great today 😂💯
That’s the same picture of same room stacked with the same money they’ve been using since the El Chapo bust. #suspect
This picture been around years before Chapo bust
@@JoseAvila-fy1qu that’s even more sad they used the footage then.
Mexico has been a real eye opener...