Investigators say the accused part of the "Chapitos" network facilitated the purchase of the precursor chemicals of fentanyl from China, manufactured the deadly drug in Mexico, and then worked to smuggle the substance into the U.S. Four Chinese nationals and one Guatemalan national were charged with supplying fentanyl ingredients to the cartel. Sinaloa cartel | History, Activities, Leaders, & Facts These partnerships demonstrate our collective commitment to tracking down, apprehending, and dismantling one of the strongest drug trafficking cartels from the top down., Today, the Justice Department is announcing significant enforcement actions against the largest, most violent, and most prolific fentanyl trafficking operation in the world run by the Sinaloa Cartel, and fueled by Chinese precursor chemical and pharmaceutical companies, said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. He also created a new national police force, or gendarmerie, of several thousand officers. The United States has partnered closely with its southern neighbor in this fight, providing Mexico with billions of dollars to modernize its security forces, reform its judicial system, and fund development projects aimed at curbing migration at Mexicos southern border. Asia Program. They were then told the bus was "at risk" and the driver was informed he needed to "stop and hide". "As we were accelerating for take-off, we heard gunshots very close to the plane, and that's when we all threw ourselves to the floor," one of the passengers, David Tellez, told Reuters news agency. The two are accused of being involved in the Sinaloa cartels operations Jurez in connection to murders, kidnappings, and drug trafficking. His trial revealed some of the brutal details of how Mexico's drug cartels operate. She was asked if she was married, if she had kids, if she wanted to make a statement. Investigations into the students disappearances have purportedly found evidence that authorities, including the police and military, conspired with cartel members in the crimes; the government launched a new inquiry after the students families, human rights groups, and independent experts questioned the handling of the previous investigation. by Lindsay Maizland Still, President Pea Nieto relied heavily [PDF] on the military, in combination with the federal police, to battle the cartels. The cartels that pose the most significant drug trafficking threats [PDF] to the United States, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), are: A curation of original analyses, data visualizations, and commentaries, examining the debates and efforts to improve health worldwide. Ovidio Guzmn-Lpez, 32, alleged to be a leader of his father's former cartel, was captured in Culiacn and flown to Mexico City on Thursday. A Congressional Research Service report details the scope and activities [PDF] of Mexicos drug trafficking groups. In 2021, three warring Gulf factions announced they had reached a truce, insisting that they wanted to maintain peace in Tamaulipas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Sutton for the Southern District of California and Acting Deputy Chief Katharine Wagner and Trial Attorney Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Divisions Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, and Assistant U.S. First published on April 14, 2023 / 11:53 AM. CFRs Global Conflict Tracker looks at criminal violence in Mexico. There is an epidemic of murder in Mexico and the majority of it is committed by organized crime," said Jeffrey James Higgins, retired. "The Sinaloa Cartels criminal activity in the Cuidad Juarez and El Paso area included the violence that occurred during the war between the Juarez Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, which led to the death of thousands of people in Ciudad Juarez and throughout the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Durango," U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas officials said in a news release. Sinaloa cartel, international crime organization that is among the most-powerful drug-trafficking syndicates in the world. Experts point to both domestic and international forces. But just six months later, the AMLO administration drew outcry from U.S. officials by disbanding a DEA-trained anti-narcotics force that had worked closely with U.S. law enforcement for decades. The defendants, known collectively as the Chapitos, are Ivan Guzman Salazar, Alfredo Guzman Salazar, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, and Ovidio Guzman Lopez. Immigrants waiting 10 years for court date in U.S. Juarez plans new migrant shelter near border, U.S. to open foreign centers in bid to stop migration, Migrants continue streaming into Brownsville, Border sector chief: Were ready for end of Title, El Pasoan to lead regional ICE removal operations, BestReviews.com - Top gifts to make everyone happy this spring, Surprise your mom with one of these Mothers Day, Mothers Day inspo: This foot massager has 20,000, Drew Barrymores Walmart collection is perfect for, Best Mothers Day gifts for the budding plant mom, Best Mothers Day Gifts for moms obsessed with books, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. As the Sinaloa cartel warred with the rival Zetas (another cartel), some victims would be publicly beheaded, or have their murders posted on social media. A further 35 military personnel were injured and 21 gunmen were arrested, Defence Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said on Friday. The indictment alleges that for years, Joaqun Guzmn Loeras (El Chapo) sons have destroyed lives and communities through drug trafficking and violence: their time is up, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Shelly Howe. Garland said Friday that the Sinaloa Cartel is "largely responsible" for the increased fentanyl trafficking into the U.S. . The witness said his hands were ordered cut off as a message not to steal from the cartel. The capture in 2016 of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the ex-leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel, sparked a struggle for control of northwestern Mexico's crime and trafficking underworld. Dozens of politicians were killed ahead of the countrys midterm elections in 2021, with many of the deaths attributed to the cartels. El Paso Live presents events for month of May, First Republic Bank seized, sold in fire sale to, Washington Gov. Inside Mexico's brutal drug cartels - The Sun by Richard Haass Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs)sometimes referred to as transnational criminal organizationsdominate the import and distribution of cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine in the United States. 'El Chapo' sons send Mexico cartel's cheap fentanyl into US with Justin Trudeau The Sinaloa Cartel has been responsible for a long string of murders throughout its history. "This investigation resulted in the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine, thousands of pounds of marijuana in cities throughout the United States," officials said in the news release. By the early 21st century the cartel had operations in more than 50 countries but was particularly dominant in the United States. Its base of power is in northeast Mexico, especially the states of Tamaulipas and Zacatecas, and it is thought to be working with CJNG members in those areas. Sinaloa notably gained territory from both the Tijuana and Jurez cartels, solidifying its position as one of the worlds most-powerful drug syndicates. 10 murder victims' bodies dumped in front of Mexico governor's office The country has seen more than 360,000 homicides since 2006, when the government declared war on the cartels. And while Zambada-Imperial was certainly once a power player in the Sinaloa Cartel, seven years is an age in criminal terms. Over the course of his six-year term, he deployed tens of thousands of military personnel to supplement and, in many cases, replace local police forces he viewed as corrupt. The attorney general said the U.S. government would work to seek their extradition to face charges on American soil. But many drug policy experts say this won't slow fentanyl deaths. The amount of fentanyl seized by Mexican authorities nearly quintupled between 2019 and 2020. "The Sinaloa Cartel is a savage and brutal organization. FILE - This Feb. 22, 2014 file photo shows Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the head of Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, being escorted to a helicopter in Mexico City following his capture overnight in the . According to the indictment, filed in the Northern District of Illinois, the defendants are charged under the Continuing Criminal Enterprise Statute, which targets large-scale drug traffickers who are responsible for long-term and complex drug conspiracies. Justine Goldbas, 32, was travelling on a bus through Sinaloa on her way back home to Los Angeles with her husband and eight-year-old son - just before the riots began on Thursday. Once manufactured, the investigators allege the cartel used a network of vehicles, tunnels, aircraft, and couriers to smuggle the fentanyl into the United States, despite knowing the drug would kill Americans. Suspect in "killer clown" case pleads guilty in 1990 murder of Florida . The indictment said the defendants and other members and associates of the Sinaloa Cartel used, and caused to be used, various means to evade and escape law enforcement and military personnel and to protect their drug distribution activities, including on October 17, 2019, at what is known as the Battle of Culiacn, when the Mexican National Guard captured and then released Ovidio Guzmn Lpez during a gunfight in Sinaloa state. U.S. sanctions Sinaloa drug cartel, once run by 'El Chapo' - CNBC Waitresses among 9 killed in massacre at bar in Mexico; cartel messages Defense lawyers claimed that was clear motivefor the witnesses to lie and tell stories that fit with the federal prosecutors narrative. Over the last 15 years, murders became ever more violentand ever more public. March 23, 2023 Arturo Shows Urquidi and Mario Alberto Iglesias Villegas, who are cartel members, are on trial this week in U.S. federal court in El Paso. Sinaloa cartel members found guilty in trial tied to 'Wedding Murders' Federal officials on Friday detailed the Chapitos' gruesome and cruel practices aimed at extending their power and amassing greater wealth from testing the potency of the fentanyl they allegedly produced on prisoners to feeding victims of their violence to tigers in order to intimidate civilians. "The United States government is using every tool at its disposal to combat the fentanyl epidemic," Garland said, "Many of us have heard the stories of those who have lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning. Allies and Enemies The Sinaloa Cartel's central bond is blood. Luis Arellano-Romeropleaded guilty July 30, 2020, to laundering of monetary instruments. This time, some more detail about the activities Iglesias was involved in were detailed. Another splinter group of the BLO, Los Rojos operates in central and southwestern Mexico and relies largely on kidnapping and extortion. However, some critics say Calderns decapitation strategy created dozens of smaller, more violent drug gangs. The six-month surveillance operation to capture Mr Guzmn-Lpez had the support of United States officials, Mr Sandoval said. How to Prepare for the Future After Seven Decades of the U.S.-South Korea Alliance, In Brief In 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama designated the groups members as significant foreign narcotics traffickers and imposed financial sanctions on it under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. It is an offshoot of the Guadalajara cartel,. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. January 31, 2022, How Tobacco Laws Could Help Close the Racial Gap on Cancer, Interactive According to the Justice Department, between August 2021 and August 2022, 107,735 people died of drug overdoses in the United States, two-thirds primarily from fentanyl. President Donald Trump shifted U.S. priorities for Mrida to issues including border security and combating drug production and money laundering. U.S. officials say they've identified and infiltrated the Mexican drug organization that's largely responsible for the fentanyl crisis killing tens of thousands of Americans every year. This prosecution is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. He also provided security forstash houses, where thousands of kilograms of cocaine were unloaded, officials said. Mexico, along with China, is also a leading source of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to fifty times more potent than heroin. Guerreros Unidos (GU). Based in southwestern Mexico, Guerreros Unidos (United Warriors) broke away from the BLO in 2009 and became involved in the heroin trade. 'Wedding Murders': Sinaloa cartel members, law enforcement testify Iglesias-Villegas was one of the drivers of the vehicles used during the kidnapping of the victims, the affidavit states. For local and breaking news, sports, weather alerts, video and more, download the FREE KTSM 9 News App from theApple App Storeor theGoogle Play Store. Mexican authorities have been waging a deadly battle against drug cartels for more than a decade, but with limited success. But during and after the arrest, 10 soldiers and 19 . Sinaloa Cartel captures members of the CJNG; links them to the murder The initiative has evolved to reflect the priorities of national leaders. The witness said he had driven a vehicle and transported Salcedo. The growing use of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, has contributed to a public health crisis. You are also agreeing to our, For media inquiries on this topic, please reach out to, AMLOs Hugs Not Bullets Is Failing Mexico, Mexican Migration Could Be the First Crisis of 2021. Tell us my emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. On April 24, 2012, the leaders and 22 other members of the cartel were charged with criminal activities ranging from trafficking drugs to conspiracy to kill in a foreign country. Conversely, Californias booming cannabis industry has prompted traffickers to smuggle U.S.-grown marijuana across the border to Mexico, where lawmakers have yet to fully legalize the drug. United States Attorney's Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, United States Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations, Customs and Border Protection Office of Border Patrol, Department of Justice, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, Department of Justice, Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Section, Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs, Department of Justice, Office of Enforcement Operations, Electronic Surveillance Unit, U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Illinois, Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control, San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center, San Diego County District Attorneys Office, Interpol, Domestic Cannabis Suppression / Eradication Program, Red Ribbon Toolkit - Resources For Your Community, DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Intelligence Research Specialist Job Announcements, Schedule A Hiring Authority: Intelligence Research Specialist, Privacy Impact Assessment and Management Information Systems, Victim Witness Assistance Program Resources, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-charges-against-sinaloa-cartel-s-global-operation. Beheading By Chainsaw Photo: Mexico Attorney General's Office / via CT Post / Public Domain https://seegore.com/rival-cartel-leaders-wife-beheaded/ Mexican security forces had previously arrested Mr Guzmn-Lpez in 2019 but released him to avoid the threat of violence from his supporters. An infamous Mexican drug lord and convicted cop-killer who co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel could soon be released from prison in Mexico, according to a report.. A Mexican tribunal is on the verge of .
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