A report by Bloomberg describes how Sinaloa leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has during the last seven years gained control of drug supply and wholesale . Once led by the Chapitos father, Joaquin Guzman Loera, aka El Chapo, and Ismael Zambada Garcia, aka El Mayo, the Sinaloa Cartels members and associates allegedly including the Chapitos smuggled significant quantities of drugs through Mexico and into the United States. The indictment said the defendants obtained guns and other weapons; bribed corrupt public officials; and incited, threatened and engaged in violence, including murder, kidnapping, assault, and battery against law enforcement, rival drug traffickers, and members of their own drug trafficking organization. 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. 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. Several other drug and weapon charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement, according to court records. The expecting mother will need diapers and bottles, but she will also need comfy maternity clothes to wear throughout her pregnancy or a maternity pillow. A further 1,000 troops are being sent to Sinaloa to help with ongoing security measures. "There was a lot of fear, people were scared," Ms Goldbas said. A video posted on social media appears to show passengers crouching and cowering in their seats. Beheading By Chainsaw Photo: Mexico Attorney General's Office / via CT Post / Public Domain by Will Freeman "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. Accident; Beating; Beheading; Cartel; Cops; Crime; . Iglesias was the head of a group of Sinaloa Cartel sicarios (assassins) until his arrest in 2012. 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. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. In addition to drug trafficking, the Sinaloa Cartel is also involved in money laundering, kidnapping, and human trafficking. 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. 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. 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. This timeline traces the role of the outside forces that have beleaguered eastern Congo since the end of the colonial era. The indictment unsealed April 14 in Manhattan details a generational shift, The Justice Department has charged 28 members of Mexicos powerful Sinaloa cartel, including sons of notorious drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, in a sprawling fentanyl-trafficking investigation. 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. The news comes just one day after Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco met with members of Mexican security officials in Washington, D.C. in part to discuss the fentanyl crisis. Videos on social media have shown burning buses blocking roads in Culiacn. By the early 21st century the cartel had operations in more than 50 countries but was particularly dominant in the United States. Officials claimedIglesias-Villegas was a "significant participant in the death of thousands of people in Ciudad Juarez from 2008 to 2011.". The operation, which began at dawn in Culiacn, in Sinaloa state, north-west Mexico, sparked a wave of violence from armed cartel members. Formed in the 1980s, LFM has its base in western Mexicos Michoacn State. Sinaloa cartel assassins group leader 'Grim Reaper' gets life in 'Wedding Murders' case. Following Guzman Loeras arrest in January 2016 and extradition to the United States in January 2017, the Chapitos allegedly assumed their fathers former role as leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, along with Zambada Garcia and Damaso Lopez Nunez, aka Licenciado. 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. The charges stem from a decades-long, multi-district investigation by the Southern District of California, the Department of Justice Criminal Divisions Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, the Northern District of Illinois, and their law enforcement partners. "It's died down a bit," he says. by Lindsay Maizland Los Rojos. Defense lawyers argued throughout the trial that key witnesses who were called to the stand were testifying against their clients to benefit themselves;most currently are serving time in prison. CBS News Poll: How GOP primary race could be Trump v. 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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. His body and anothers, which appeared to be stripped of clothing, were laid out on a street on a busy avenue in Jurez in another image shown by U.S. prosecutors. Culiacan Airport resumed operations on Friday. Extra security, including U.S. marshals and metal detectors, was presentthroughout the trial. 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. told Ada County jurors on Monday that she tested three DNA profiles in connection with Vallow's murder case, including Lori, her 16-year-old daughter, Tylee Ryan, and her friend Melanie Gibb The FBI San Diego Field Office and Washington Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations San Diego and Nogales Office, DEAs San Diego Division and Chicago Division, and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. 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. The U.S. Department of State, through its Narcotics Rewards Program, is offering rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Ivan Guzman Salazar, Alfredo Guzman Salazar, and Ovidio Guzman Lopez and up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Joaquin Guzman Lopez. Since Mexico launched a war on the cartels in 2006, the United States has provided it with billions of dollars in security and counternarcotics assistance. Europe Program, What Northern Ireland Teaches Us About Ending the Ukraine War, Article 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. 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. According to testimony from a jailhouse informant, Shows Urquidi worked as a bodyguard for Sinaloa cartel members and as security duringthe transportation of drugs. The U.S. government, despite waging a war on drugs and conducting other counternarcotics efforts abroad, has made little progress in reducing demand. Updates? In the past decade, the group has splintered into various factions, diluting its strength as it battles for territory with Los Zetas. Traffickers employ various tactics to evade detection by U.S. authorities at the border. Retired El Paso DEA leader gives somber view of drug problem. A $15 million reward is being offered for information leading to Zambada'sarrest andconviction. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY - April 30, 2021. El Chapo's former safe house to be raffled off, Mourning for Mexican prison attack victims, Gunmen shoot dead at least nine in Mexico bar, Mexico Congress votes to keep military on streets, More than 20,000 Russians dead in Bakhmut, US says, Doja Cat and Lil Nas X arrive at the Met Gala, France May Day protests leave dozens of police injured, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. President Caldern declared war on the cartels shortly after taking office. The two are accused of being involved in the Sinaloa cartels operations Jurez in connection to murders, kidnappings, and drug trafficking. Updated on: April 14, 2023 / 7:23 PM We are grateful to them. In recent years, the group has splintered into several factions, including La Lnea, which controls street-level enforcement. The US announced an award of $5m for information leading to Mr Guzmn-Lpez's arrest. 2023 www.elpasotimes.com. Announcing the charges on Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Justice Department officials laid the loss of hundreds of thousands of American lives from fentanyl squarely at the feet of the defendants. La Familia Michoacna (LFM). Experts point to both domestic and international forces. More:Reputed drug cartel boss 'El Jaguar' wounded, arrested in Mexican army shootout, More:'The worst it's ever been.' Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. Formerly led by Joaqun El Chapo Guzmn, Sinaloa is one of Mexicos oldest and most influential drug trafficking groups. Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests, Disney faces countersuit in feud with Florida, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies. And, he asked him why hed lost a load of drugs. Renewing America, Timeline 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. SAN DIEGO Four sons of Joaqun Guzmn Loera, the imprisoned former Sinaloa Cartel leader known as El Chapo, were indicted by a federal grand jury for large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering and violent crimes in connection with their assumption of cartel leadership following their fathers arrest and extradition to the United States. In 2019 he was found guilty on various charges, including drug trafficking. Video Shows The Moment Mexican Security Forces Captured The The trial began with juryselection Oct. 4, with a verdict reached Friday. Although several of its leaders were arrested between 2019 and 2020, the group remains active, and along with Guerreros Unidos, has been linked to the 2014 disappearance and murder of forty-three students from a university in Guerrero State. Estimates of its annual revenue ranged from $3 billion to $39 billion. Local search efforts to find the missing and prosecute those responsible have often been stymied by cartel-related violence, government incompetence and corruption, and other factors. MEXICO CITY With Sinaloa cartel boss Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn serving a life sentence, his sons steered the family business into fentanyl, establishing a network of labs churning out . However, some critics say Calderns decapitation strategy created dozens of smaller, more violent drug gangs. The next image they saw was a photograph of her lifeless body bleeding shortly after the recording. No customers or employees were harmed, it said. In sweeping indictments, the Justice Department targeted two dozen operatives in the Chapitos network of the Sinaloa cartel. The killers are rivals of the Sinaloa cartel, . Read about our approach to external linking. Corrections? In Cancun alone there was 540 murders last year. "Law Enforcement also took possession of millions of dollars in drug proceeds which were destined to be returned to the Cartel in Mexico. An official website of the United States government. Mexican gangs eventually shifted from being couriers for Colombian criminal organizations, including the infamous Cali and Medelln cartels, to being wholesalers. 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. This assistance has gone toward purchases of military aircraft, surveillance software, and other equipment. 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. During interrogation, Campos told authorities he distributes illegal narcotics for the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, according to the criminal complaint. He was extradited to the United States the following year. Mexican authorities have been waging a deadly battle against drug cartels for more than a decade, but with limited success. While still active, LFM has weakened and fragmented in recent years. 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. The head of a group of assassins for the Sinaloa drug cartel was sentenced to life in prison Thursday in U . Victims Of The Shooting In Culiacan Sinaloa. 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. SAN DIEGO - Four sons of Joaqun Guzmn Loera, the imprisoned former Sinaloa Cartel leader known as El Chapo, were indicted by a federal grand jury for large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering and violent crimes in connection with their assumption of cartel leadership following their father's arrest and extradition to the United States. 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. November 4, 2022 Two Mexican Air Force aircraft were forced to make emergency landings after they were hit by gunfire from the cartel, Defence Minister Sandoval said. The woman who had been recorded was flanked by a man with a rifle as she asked questions. 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. 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. We havecharged Chapos four sons with leading a criminal enterprise built on trafficking tons of deadly drugs into our nation,money laundering, and murder. "The violence gave rise to Ciudad Juarez being named the deadliest city in the world.. The amount of fentanyl seized by Mexican authorities nearly quintupled between 2019 and 2020. Murders, dismemberment, mockery of the corpse of a murdered gang member. Shed been on the opposite side of the Sinaloa cartel, which made her a prime target at the height of violence during the criminal organizations war with the Jurez cartel. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. 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. Nationwide, the country registered 493 drug-related deaths that month, 64 of them . They cutt his hands off and left his body in a dark alley near the Universidad Pedaggica Nacional del Estado de Chihuahua, on Jurezs busy Avenida Ejrcito Nacional street. The initiative has evolved to reflect the priorities of national leaders. 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 cartel is notoriously violent, and has been known to target both rivals and those who cross them. Iglesias-Villegas also was convicted for his participation in the kidnapping and eventual murder of Horizon City residentSergio Saucedo, officials said. However, after the cartel was involved in the 1985 torture and murder of a U.S. drug enforcement agent, U.S. and Mexican forces cracked down on the syndicate, and by the end of the decade it had broken into various groups, one of which was based in Sinaloa. 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. Iglesias became a member of the Sinaloa Cartel under Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman-Loera in early 2008. Today, we say, no more. MEXICO / 29 JUN 2022 BY HENRY SHULDINER EN. Other charged individuals include operators of secret labs in Mexico where fentanyl is made, weapons dealers who help the Sinaloa Cartel arm its security, and money launderers who funded the operations. 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 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. by Richard Haass Dozens of politicians were killed ahead of the countrys midterm elections in 2021, with many of the deaths attributed to the cartels. ", 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. 0:36. It's time for the United States to get serious about stopping the flow. The militarized crackdown was a centerpiece of Calderns tenure. The bodies of eight men and two women were. 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. Last month, Mexico's President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obradorcontroversially stated that the deadly drug is neither created nor consumed in his country and blamed Americans for the totality of the epidemic. Over the decades, they have grown, splintered, forged new alliances, and battled one another for territory. Its origins can be traced to the Guadalajara cartel, which was one of Mexico's largest crime organizations in the early 1980s. Gulf Cartel. April 25, 2023 He described the DEA's. 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. In 2014 Guzmn was apprehended in Mazatln, Sinaloa, Mexico, but the following year he escaped from prison through a tunnel. Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars, A Conversation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, Virtual Event Cartels use a portion of their vast profits to pay off judges, officers, and politicians. The cases against the other 14 defendants arepending in federal court. Allies and Enemies The Sinaloa Cartel's central bond is blood. But the alliance forged in blood should now evolve to be powered by chips, batteries, and clean technology. Sinaloa Cartel Leader Hunted After Killing Priests, Baseball Players and US Tourist. . Gabino Salas-Valenciano, Jesus Rodrigo Fierro-Ramirez and Emigdio MartinezJr. died while their cases werepending in federal court, court records show. Mexico later deployed twenty-five thousand National Guard members to secure its borders, which some experts say increased violence and diminished the countrys cartel-fighting capacity. Lock In Mexico, the cartels use a portion of their vast profits to pay off judges, officers, and politicians. Homicides declined in the first years of Pea Nietos presidency. The Good Friday Agreement offers lessons for trying to end the war between Ukraine and Russia. The witness said Iglesias was aware of such incidents and was involved. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Is climate change killing Australian wine? A video taken by cartel members during the commission of crimes or punishment of guilty members. Los Zetas. Most of the illicit drugs entering the United States that are seized by authorities are discovered at official ports of entry, of which there are more than three hundred. Defense attorneys asked where the video was from and questioned if the transcript was accurate. To view press conference, please seehttps://www.justice.gov/live. 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. Enrique Pea Nieto (20122018). One also was convicted in thekilling of a U.S. citizen in the Wedding Murders" case. At the international level, Mexican cartels began to take on a much larger role in the late 1980s, after U.S. government agencies broke up Caribbean networks used by Colombian cartels to smuggle cocaine. Washington Federal prosecutors unsealed criminal charges against 28 members and associates of the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel including the three sons of former drug lord Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn accusing them of orchestrating a transnational fentanyl trafficking operation into the United States. Cartel Gunmen Guerreros Unidos (GU). 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. A Congressional Research Service report details the scope and activities [PDF] of Mexicos drug trafficking groups. A further 35 military personnel were injured and 21 gunmen were arrested, Defence Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said on Friday. It is based in Culiacn, Sinaloa state, Mexico. 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 . April 19, 2023 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. The Sinaloa Cartel's control over the Chicago drugs market is driving the city's murder rate, says a Bloomberg report, but in reality such a clear-cut link has yet to be established. It was me or him.. According to the testimony, Fierro-Ramirez feared Shows Urquidi knew too much about the cartel, so he took out a contract to have Shows Urquidi killed. Thousands of Mexicansincluding politicians, students, and journalistsdie in the conflict every year. We know that nothing can repair the harm they've suffered or bring back the loved ones they have lost.". Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. 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. 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. Burning vehicles are seen blocking a road following the arrest of Ovidio Guzmn-Lpez. "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. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Since 2018, his administration has launched an anticorruption drive and disrupted cartel finances; it has also proposed decriminalizing all illegal drugs and offering amnesty to low-level cartel members. "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. On January 8, 2016, however, Mexican officials announced that Guzmn had been captured in Los Mochis, Sinaloa. The US State Department says he and his brother Joaqun are currently overseeing approximately 11 methamphetamine labs in the state of Sinaloa, producing an estimated 1,300- 2,200kg (3,000-5,000lb) of the drug per month. Garland said Friday that the Sinaloa Cartel is "largely responsible" for the increased fentanyl trafficking into the U.S. . Many also argue that Mexicos military is ill-prepared to perform police functions.
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