Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. This prosecution is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. Last updated September 7, 2022 2:45 pm (EST), By entering your email and clicking subscribe, you're agreeing to receive announcements from CFR about our products and services, as well as invitations to CFR events. We know that nothing can repair the harm they've suffered or bring back the loved ones they have lost.". According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Mexican cartels represent the greatest drug-related threat, supplying heroin, marijuana, methamphetamines, and other drugs, to the United States. Garland said Friday that the Sinaloa Cartel is "largely responsible" for the increased fentanyl trafficking into the U.S. . It is an offshoot of the Guadalajara cartel,. And in 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized more than 50 million fentanyl-laced pills, more than double the amount collected the year prior, the Justice Department said. Federal prosecutors countered that former cartel members who were part of the criminal organization were the best witnesses since they saw the illegal activity firsthand. Federal prosecutors said the witness could be used to validate the video and transcription but defense attorneys argued his objectivity may have already been tainted. The Bush administration focused heavily on providing Mexico with security-related assistance, including counternarcotics and counterterrorism support. And Guzmn, the 32-year-old son of former Sinaloa cartel. "There was a lot of fear, people were scared," Ms Goldbas said. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. The other defendants includedJoaquin "El Chapo"Guzman, the reputed head of the cartel, andIsmael Zambada Garcia, who allegedly took over the drug cartel after Guzman was arrested in Mexico in 2016. 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. He was extradited to the United States the following year. She said online platforms are usually where the initial contact between buyer and sellers occurs and described social media applications as the "super highway" of the fentanyl supply chain. The government registered more than 120,000 homicides [PDF] over the course of Calderns term, nearly twice as many as during his predecessors time in office. The U.S.-Mexico relationship took a major hit in October 2020, when U.S. authorities arrested General Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda, a former Mexican defense minister, in Los Angeles for drug trafficking and money laundering. One also was convicted in thekilling of a U.S. citizen in the Wedding Murders" case. 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. 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By the early 21st century the cartel had operations in more than 50 countries but was particularly dominant in the United States. (Experts estimate that between one-third and one-half of the homicides in Mexico are linked to cartels.). On Friday, the Treasury Department also announced sanctions against two Chinese companies for their role in supplying the precursor chemicals. The Good Friday Agreement offers lessons for trying to end the war between Ukraine and Russia. The U.S. government, despite waging a war on drugs and conducting other counternarcotics efforts abroad, has made little progress in reducing demand. The witness said Marrufo ordered him to be killed and for his men to mutilate his body. April 25, 2023 Latin America Studies Program, Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar: Religion and Technology, Virtual Event The next image they saw was a photograph of her lifeless body bleeding shortly after the recording. The Beltran Leyva brothers were also at the center of the Sinaloa Cartel's security operations. SAN DIEGO - Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael Zambada-Imperial, aka "Mayito Gordo," pleaded guilty in federal court today to drug trafficking charges following his extradition to the Southern District of California in December 2019. With strongholds in nearly half of Mexicos statesparticularly those along the Pacific coast in the northwest and near the countrys southern and northern bordersand operations in as many as fifty countries, it has a larger international footprint than any of its Mexican rivals. The group is known to have a partnership with the CJNG, using the same transportation networks to move drug shipments to and from the United States. The organizations splinter groups have become more autonomous and powerful, maintaining ties to Jalisco, Jurez, and Los Zetas. Still, President Pea Nieto relied heavily [PDF] on the military, in combination with the federal police, to battle the cartels. Though the United States later dropped the charges and allowed Cienfuegos to return to Mexico, the Mexican government responded by restricting U.S. law enforcement agents power to operate in the country. 2023 www.elpasotimes.com. Mario Iglesias-Villegas, also known as the Grim Reaper, and Arturo Shows Urquidi,also known as Chous,were convicted on several drug trafficking, weaponand money laundering charges. Cartel Gunmen Iglesias-Villegas also was convicted for his participation in the kidnapping and eventual murder of Horizon City residentSergio Saucedo, officials said. Beheading By Chainsaw Photo: Mexico Attorney General's Office / via CT Post / Public Domain But on Monday, Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador blasted the U.S. for spying on the Sinaloa cartel without first gaining his government's permission. Formerly led by Joaqun El Chapo Guzmn, Sinaloa is one of Mexicos oldest and most influential drug trafficking groups. Monaco highlighted the need to combat drug trafficking and fentanyl proliferation on social media, telling reporters on Friday that she and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram met with social media companies last week discuss how social media companies "must do more to stop the sale of fentanyl on their platforms.". The two are accused of being involved in the Sinaloa cartels operations Jurez in connection to murders, kidnappings, and drug trafficking. March 23, 2023 The two are accused of being involved in the Sinaloa cartels operations Jurez in connection to murders, kidnappings, and drug trafficking. Europe Program, What Northern Ireland Teaches Us About Ending the Ukraine War, Article American-made guns trafficked through Florida ports are destabilizing the Caribbean and Central America and fueling domestic crime. The US had put out a reward of up to $5m (4.2m) for information leading to his arrest or conviction, as well as that of three of his brothers who are also thought to have kept their positions of command in the group. The drugs would be smuggled into El Paso and taken to other U.S. cities, while weapons and money earned from the drugs would be smuggled back across the border, witnesses testified duringthe trial. At the time, the power of the Colombian cartels was declining, partly because of the deaths of various drug lords, notably Pablo Escobar (died 1993), and the U.S. crackdown on drug trafficking in the Caribbean, then the preferred route for transporting drugs into the United States. In the past decade, the group has splintered into various factions, diluting its strength as it battles for territory with Los Zetas. According to the DEA, the rapid expansion of its drug trafficking activities is characterized by the groups willingness to engage in violent confrontations with authorities and rival cartels. What has Mexico done to stem the drug trade. . They also coerce officials into cooperating; assassinations of journalists and public servants by the cartels are relatively common. by Richard Haass 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. Its origins can be traced to the Guadalajara cartel, which was one of Mexicos largest crime organizations in the early 1980s. Since then, all four brothers have been arrested or killed, but their loyalists continue to operate throughout Mexico. Although he was arrested and sentenced to more than 20 years in prison in 1993, he continued to be a key figure in the cartel, and, according to various reports, he gained full control of the organization in 1995. If someone shit talked the Sinaloa cartel and got shot in the street by like 25 men in a standing horizontally in a row then that guy better be thankful cuz they showed mercy. Zambada still iswanted by the U.S. governmenton several criminal charges related to the Sinaloa drug cartel. The amount of fentanyl seized by Mexican authorities nearly quintupled between 2019 and 2020. Iglesias-Villegas was one of the drivers of the vehicles used during the kidnapping of the victims, the affidavit states. 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. According to reports at the time, it was responsible for the majority of illegal drugsnotably marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetaminesthat were smuggled from Mexico into its northern neighbour, and in 2015 U.S. officials claimed that Sinaloa controlled the drug markets in almost every state. 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. Mexican President Andrs Lpez Obrador said Mexican forces had acted responsibly to look after the civilian population and avoid innocent victims. While still active, LFM has weakened and fragmented in recent years. by Will Freeman with Justin Trudeau It splintered from the Gulf Cartel in 2010 and held sway over swaths of eastern, central, and southern Mexico. On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. Dozens of vehicles were set alight and at least two planes at Sinaloa airports were hit by gunfire, in attacks blamed on the Sinaloa cartel. At least 29 people were killed during the bloody operation to arrest of the son of Mexican drugs kingpin "El Chapo", the Mexican authorities say. In the early 2000s, they recruited a young, ex-football player from Laredo named Edgar Valdez Villareal. The Chapitos subsequently amassed greater control over the Sinaloa Cartel by allegedly threatening and causing violence against Damaso Lopez Nunez, his family, and his associates and, as a result, became principal leaders and drug traffickers within the Sinaloa Cartel. We are grateful to them. His trial revealed some of the brutal details of how Mexico's drug cartels operate. On her back, the cartel members wrote I extort people for La Lnea. A rose was placed on top of her in the image of her body. While the Sinaloa Cartel remains under the leadership of Zambada Garca, its local bosses have broad decision-making power, which makes it difficult to estimate how much of an overall toll this violence has had on the group. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Jurors got a reminder of the brutality in the drug trafficking business as images of a woman murdered were on display in federal court on Wednesday. "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. Meanwhile, the homicide rate continues to hover around record levels. Iglesias was the head of a group of Sinaloa Cartel sicarios (assassins) until his arrest in 2012. Mexican gangs eventually shifted from being couriers for Colombian criminal organizations, including the infamous Cali and Medelln cartels, to being wholesalers. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Today, we say, no more. Corrections? VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. The incident prompted mass demonstrations, with protesters demanding answers about the abductions and expressing their exhaustion with Mexicos endemic corruption, violence, and other crime. 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. Sinaloa Cartel. Formed in the 1980s, LFM has its base in western Mexicos Michoacn State. The Chapitos also allegedly obtained precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs and operated laboratories to manufacture methamphetamine. Nationwide, the country registered 493 drug-related deaths that month, 64 of them . As Mexico gained popularity as a drug route, the strength of its criminal organizations grew, especially that of the Sinaloa cartel, which benefited from Guzmns innovative methods of smuggling, notably through tunnels, and his extensive use of bribes. The cowardly murder of two priests and a tour guide in northern Mexico has made headlines for the last week, but for the country's crime-ridden border states, it's just another example of everyday criminality. The Mexican cartels (The Sinaloa, Los Zetas, The Gulf Cartel, and the Knights Templar, most notably) and their known drug associates continue to escalate gratuitous acts of retaliation and often record the executions . The unchecked power of organized crime was on full display this October, when hundreds of gunmen for the Sinaloa Cartel laid siege to the city of Culiacn in broad daylight, forcing the. The Chapitos allegedly used these networks to import the drugs into the United States. El Paso Live presents events for month of May, First Republic Bank seized, sold in fire sale to, Washington Gov. The witness said most kidnappings and murders were conducted by a team that included him and Iglesias. Global Climate Agreements: Successes and Failures, Backgrounder by Will Freeman With U.S. assistance, the Mexican military captured or killed twenty-five of the top thirty-seven drug kingpins in Mexico. There were blockades in different parts of the city and residents were urged to stay at home. 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. The Chapitos and members of the Sinaloa Cartel also allegedly obtained, manufactured, and transported other drugs, including marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine, knowing and intending that such drugs would be imported into and distributed throughout the United States. 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 . He also provided security forstash houses, where thousands of kilograms of cocaine were unloaded, officials said. by Lindsay Maizland Videos on social media have shown burning buses blocking roads in Culiacn. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. He was sentenced to more than two years in prison. Please enter valid email address to continue. And, he asked him why hed lost a load of drugs. A video posted on social media appears to show passengers crouching and cowering in their seats. Updated on: April 14, 2023 / 7:23 PM ", Officials added, "Agents and officers likewise seized hundreds of weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition intended to be smuggled into Mexico to assist the Cartels battle to take control of Juarez and the local drug trafficking corridors. They have become a formidable force against the cartels in states including Guerrero and Michoacn. Mexico 9 307 13 0. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. Mexico City Assailants left 10 beaten, murdered bodies in front of the governor's office in the north-central Mexican state of Zacatecas on Thursday. First published on April 14, 2023 / 11:53 AM. But the alliance forged in blood should now evolve to be powered by chips, batteries, and clean technology. There is an epidemic of murder in Mexico and the majority of it is committed by organized crime," said Jeffrey James Higgins, retired. Iglesias-Villegasalso was convicted of five counts of violent crimes in aid of racketeeringand one count each of conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, and kidnapping and aiding and abetting kidnapping. No customers or employees were harmed, it said. I found him. "It's no longer enough to protect our children from drug dealers in the park or on the street cornerbecause now those drug dealers ply their deadly trade on social media apps running on the phones in our kids' pockets," Monaco said. Prosecutors revealed in a recent indictment that while Sinaloa cartel boss Joaqun El Chapo Guzmn serves a life sentence, his sons have steered the family business into fentanyl, establishing a network of labs churning out massive quantities of the cheap, deadly drug that they smuggle into the U.S. Of the 24 charged, eight are in custody across the globe. Ukraines Counteroffensive: Will It Retake Crimea? Beltrn-Leyva Organization (BLO). "The pioneers in hanging bodies were the Zetas cartel during the war against the Sinaloa Cartel in Coahuila and Tamaulipas states around the '90s," said David Saucedo, a Mexico-based security analyst. In a highly controversial move in February 2019, Trump declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and ordered the deployment of thousands of active-duty military troops there, citing an influx of illicit drugs, criminals, and undocumented immigrants. In the ensuing turf battles, a wave of unprecedented violence swept Mexico. While there will always be more work to be done, these indictments will continue the dismantlement of an extremely vicious criminal enterprise that has been a primary driver of violence in our communities. Theres nothing like lazy summer days relaxing on the patio. The growing use of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, has contributed to a public health crisis. President Biden inherited a tense security relationship with Mexico, with bilateral cooperation focused mostly on migration, COVID-19, and trade. Todays actions demonstrate the comprehensive approach the Justice Department is taking to disrupt fentanyl trafficking and save American lives., Today, we deliverthe most crushing blow to the Sinaloa Cartel since the conviction of Chapo Guzman, said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. If youre shopping for a new purse, check out these luxurious bags that look quite high-end, but cost less than $100. The trials are part of a large indictment by a federal grand jury that included Sinaloa cartel leaders Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and Ismael "Mayo" Zambada Garcia. Its origins can be traced to the Guadalajara cartel, which was one of Mexico's largest crime organizations in the early 1980s. President Donald Trump shifted U.S. priorities for Mrida to issues including border security and combating drug production and money laundering. By 2007, Mexican cartels controlled an estimated 90 percent [PDF] of the cocaine entering the United States. The Sinaloa Cartel is one of the biggest and most powerful drug trafficking cartels in the world - and also the focus of Netflix's Narcos: Mexico. As the Mexican government intensified its efforts to arrest suspected drug lords, he eluded capture, but other cartel leaders were imprisoned, weakening organizations and giving rise to splinter groups. While other organizations expanded into human trafficking and extortion, among other activities, the Sinaloa cartel remained largely centred on drugs. President Caldern declared war on the cartels shortly after taking office. The attorney general said the U.S. government would work to seek their extradition to face charges on American soil. In an interview with Insight Crimes Katie Jones, University of Warwick Professor Benjamin T. Smith explains how his book The Dope unpacks misperceptions about Mexicos drug trade. 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. Mr Guzmn-Lpez - nicknamed "The Mouse" - was extracted by helicopter and flown to the capital before being taken to a maximum security federal prison. A Congressional Research Service report details the scope and activities [PDF] of Mexicos drug trafficking groups. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Powerful figures in the Guadalajara organization, the two men became leaders in the Sinaloa cartel. In 2017, Americans spent $153 billion [PDF] on illegal drugs, including cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine. Jalisco splintered from Sinaloa in 2010 and is among Mexico's fastest-growing cartels, with operations in more than two-thirds of the country. The cartel was founded in Mexico's Sinaloa state and now operates in 17 Mexican states, and by some estimates, in as many as 50 countries. is currently serving a life sentence in a federal prison in Colorado after being convicted in 2019 of numerous drug and murder conspiracy charges. The indictment offers the most comprehensive look yet at the operations of the Sinaloa Cartel dating back 15 years. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). "Law Enforcement also took possession of millions of dollars in drug proceeds which were destined to be returned to the Cartel in Mexico. November 11, 2022 / 6:06 AM / CBS/AP Nine people are dead, including four women, after gunmen burst into a bar and opened fire in the violence-wracked Mexican state of Guanajuato, authorities said. On that day, convoys of gunmen from El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel clashed with rival gunmen from the Beltran Leyva Cartel. Washington has also sought to stem the flow of illegal drugs into the United States by bolstering security and monitoring operations along its border with Mexico. This time, some more detail about the activities Iglesias was involved in were detailed. Fierro-Ramirez later was killed in a shootout with Mexicanlaw enforcement. Defense attorneys for Urquidi and Iglesias questioned the validity of the video the jurors saw and the transcript of what was said in the video. Several other drug and weaponcharges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement, according to court records. A further 35 military personnel were injured and 21 gunmen were arrested, Defence Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said on Friday. Enrique Pea Nieto (20122018). She was asked if she was married, if she had kids, if she wanted to make a statement. He described the DEA's. The vehicle was parked off the main road for 16 hours in Caborca, in the neighbouring state of Sonora, before being allowed to move again. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. We havecharged Chapos four sons with leading a criminal enterprise built on trafficking tons of deadly drugs into our nation,money laundering, and murder. Civil liberties groups, journalists, and foreign officials have criticized the Mexican governments war with the cartels for years, accusing the military, police, and cartels of widespread human rights violations, including torture, extrajudicial killings, and forced disappearances. The Chapitos are alleged to have repeatedly and consistently obtained and transported multi-ton quantities of cocaine from and through Central and South America, including Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala, into Mexico, stored that cocaine throughout Mexico, and transported it across the U.S.-Mexico border for further distribution throughout the United States. 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.
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