TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US and Taiwan law enforcement joined forces to apprehend a suspected Taiwanese drug trafficker, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) revealed on Sunday.

Personnel from Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) flew to Los Angeles and accompanied US agents to arrest the suspect, surnamed Zhong (鍾). He is also believed to be a key figure in the Bamboo Union Gang’s Mingren Society, AIT said in a statement.

AIT described the operation as a “major milestone in making both Taiwan and the United States safer.” It involved multiple US agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, and the Los Angeles Police Department.

In February, another Taiwanese national surnamed Tsai (蔡) was arrested in Los Angeles for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor and for a drunk driving incident that resulted in two fatalities.

Tsai’s arrest was led by the DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division, with intelligence support from Taiwanese authorities. Taiwan’s National Police Agency maintains a liaison officer on the US West Coast to coordinate with American law enforcement in locating and apprehending Taiwanese fugitives abroad.

In 2022, then-Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) Director-General Wang Chun-li held talks with then-FBI Director Christopher Wray at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Dallas, Texas. The two discussed mutual concerns including international counterterrorism, economic security, and disinformation threats, according to the MJIB. They also reaffirmed their commitment to continuing long-standing bilateral cooperation.