Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. 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. This timeline traces the role of the outside forces that have beleaguered eastern Congo since the end of the colonial era. Videos on social media have shown burning buses blocking roads in Culiacn. They have become a formidable force against the cartels in states including Guerrero and Michoacn. The Good Friday Agreement offers lessons for trying to end the war between Ukraine and Russia. 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. The defendants, known collectively as the Chapitos, are Ivan Guzman Salazar, Alfredo Guzman Salazar, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, and Ovidio Guzman Lopez. 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 cartel is notoriously violent, and has been known to target both rivals and those who cross them. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Corrections? In October 2021, Presidents Biden and Lpez Obrador announced the creation of a bilateral framework to replace the Mrida Initiative that will seek to address both insecurity in Mexico and the opioid crisis in the United States. The witness said his hands were ordered cut off as a message not to steal from the cartel. Sinaloa cartel assassins group leader 'Grim Reaper' gets life in 'Wedding Murders' case. In 2021, three warring Gulf factions announced they had reached a truce, insisting that they wanted to maintain peace in Tamaulipas. Mexico 9 307 13 0. Mexican drug cartels are leading suppliers of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other illicit narcotics to the United States. by Olivia Angelino, Thomas J. Bollyky, Elle Ruggiero and Isabella Turilli Since then, all four brothers have been arrested or killed, but their loyalists continue to operate throughout Mexico. Guzmans case in the Western District of Texas remains pending, according to court records. The Democratic Republic of Congo has been subjected to centuries of international intervention by European powers, as well as its African neighbors. Murders, dismemberment, mockery of the corpse of a murdered gang member. We will continue to leverage our law enforcement partnerships to keep pressure on transnational criminal organizations like Los Chapitos.. The cartels and the drug trade fuel rampant, to tens of thousands of homicides in the country each. And Guzmn, the 32-year-old son of former Sinaloa cartel. 1 nemesis, the Sinaloa Cartel, dominates the majority supply of everything from methamphetamine and heroin to the devastating synthetic opioid. However, it has lost power in recent years and fractured into rival wings, the most prominent being the Northeast Cartel. 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. The weekslong trial was held in the AlbertArmendarizSr.Federal Courthouse in Downtown El Paso with U.S. District Judge Frank Montalvopresiding. The Beltran Leyva brothers were also at the center of the Sinaloa Cartel's security operations. They allegedly maintained a network of couriers, tunnels, and stash houses throughout Mexico and the United States to further their drug-trafficking activities. Their bodies were left in an affluent area in Jurez along Avenida Plutarco Elas Calles. The Chapitos allegedly used these networks to import the drugs into the United States. 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. "The Sinaloa Cartel is a savage and brutal organization. Of the 24 charged, eight are in custody across the globe. 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. 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. 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. by Stephen Sestanovich Culiacn alone saw 116 murders, 24 of them policemen. Also, a former police officer with the Jurez police department had been on the opposite side of the Sinaloas. Allies and Enemies The Sinaloa Cartel's central bond is blood. "Law Enforcement also took possession of millions of dollars in drug proceeds which were destined to be returned to the Cartel in Mexico. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. He also provided security forstash houses, where thousands of kilograms of cocaine were unloaded, officials said. Nationwide, the country registered 493 drug-related deaths that month, 64 of them . April 20, 2023 Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. On Wednesday, jurors in the case heard more testimony from witnesses. Director of Media Relations Kelly Thornton (619) 546-9726 . 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. Several other drug and weapon charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement, according to court records. April 25, 2023 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. Video Shows The Moment Mexican Security Forces Captured The The Sinaloa Cartel has been responsible for a long string of murders throughout its history. Victims Of The Shooting In Culiacan Sinaloa. 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. A 2021 report from the University of San Diegos Justice in Mexico initiative details organized crime and violence in Mexico and offers policy recommendations [PDF]. 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. ", 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. 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. On January 8, 2016, however, Mexican officials announced that Guzmn had been captured in Los Mochis, Sinaloa. Iglesias was the head of a group of Sinaloa Cartel sicarios (assassins) until his arrest in 2012. 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. Law enforcement officers also acted as bodyguards forhigh ranking members of the cartel, according to testimony. . It splintered from the Gulf Cartel in 2010 and held sway over swaths of eastern, central, and southern Mexico. 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. If youre shopping for a new purse, check out these luxurious bags that look quite high-end, but cost less than $100. A video posted on social media appears to show passengers crouching and cowering in their seats. How to Prepare for the Future After Seven Decades of the U.S.-South Korea Alliance, In Brief He also created a new national police force, or gendarmerie, of several thousand officers. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. 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. Within this centralized political structure, drug trafficking groups cultivated a wide network of corrupt officials through which they were able to gain distribution rights, market access, and protection. Mexican gangs eventually shifted from being couriers for Colombian criminal organizations, including the infamous Cali and Medelln cartels, to being wholesalers. Retired El Paso DEA leader gives somber view of drug problem. But during and after the arrest, 10 soldiers and 19 . Ukraines Counteroffensive: Will It Retake Crimea? The Bush administration focused heavily on providing Mexico with security-related assistance, including counternarcotics and counterterrorism support. 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. 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. NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY - April 30, 2021. The witness, who admitted to being in the team, looked on as violent images filled the screens in the courtroom. Calderns successor said he would focus more on reducing violence against civilians and businesses than on removing the leaders of cartels. They were then told the bus was "at risk" and the driver was informed he needed to "stop and hide". 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. Ivan Guzman Salazar, Alfredo Guzman Salazar, and Ovidio Guzman Lopez El Chapo's son allegedly made hundreds of millions of dollars by sending fentanyl to the U.S., according to the Justice Department. U.S. officials estimate that CJNG supplies more than one-third of the U.S. drug market. Jay Inslee says he wont seek a fourth, How to watch King Charles royal coronation, Montana legislator sues House speaker over censure, Monday forecast: Beautiful start to the week, Slightly cooler Monday; chance of showers this week, 92 on Sunday! More:Reputed Sinaloa drug cartel members set to go on trial Monday in El Paso, More:El Paso trial of reputed Sinaloa members focuses on drug cartel's operations, methods. 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. Estimates of its annual revenue ranged from $3 billion to $39 billion. 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. "There was a lot of fear, people were scared," Ms Goldbas 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. "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. In the face of unimaginable pain, those families have shown extraordinary bravery in sharing their stories. Amy Tikkanen is the general corrections manager, handling a wide range of topics that include Hollywood, politics, books, and anything related to the. Sinaloa Cartel Leader Hunted After Killing Priests, Baseball Players and US Tourist. Images shown during the court hearing were reminders of the violence that existed in the lives of two high profile Sinaloa cartel members during the mid-2000s. He was accused of being the head of a group of Sinaloa cartel sicarios, or hit men. Los Zetas. 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. And while Zambada-Imperial was certainly once a power player in the Sinaloa Cartel, seven years is an age in criminal terms. Formerly led by Joaqun El Chapo Guzmn, Sinaloa is one of Mexicos oldest and most influential drug trafficking groups. 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. Originally a paramilitary enforcement arm for the Gulf Cartel, Los Zetas was singled out by the DEA in 2007 as the countrys most technologically advanced, sophisticated, and violent group of its kind. El Paso Live presents events for month of May, First Republic Bank seized, sold in fire sale to, Washington Gov. Sinaloa drug cartel members found guilty, including 1 for role in 'Wedding Murders' case Aaron Martinez El Paso Times 0:00 0:36 Two reputed Sinaloa drug cartel members were convicted for. These indictments were made possible by our cooperation with local, state, and federal partners. While other organizations expanded into human trafficking and extortion, among other activities, the Sinaloa cartel remained largely centred on drugs. by Scott A. Snyder It is based in Culiacn, Sinaloa state, Mexico. Shortly after taking office, President Lpez Obrador, also known as AMLO, announced that his government would move away from militarized attempts to apprehend cartel leaders and instead focus on improving regional security cooperation and reducing homicide rates. Over the last 15 years, murders became ever more violentand ever more public. The amount of fentanyl seized by Mexican authorities nearly quintupled between 2019 and 2020. During the late '70s and 1980s, the Sinaloa Cartel worked with the Medellin cartel, establishing lucrative cocaine routes to the United States that spanned land, sea and air.After the group's 1985 murder of DEA agent Enrique Camarena, the US and Mexico closed in on the cartel, causing several leaders to disperse across Mexico, leaving El Chapo and his partner Hctor Luis Palma Salazar as the . According to the Justice Department, both sides "pledged" to increase information-sharing and cooperation on criminal investigations. On Friday, the Treasury Department also announced sanctions against two Chinese companies for their role in supplying the precursor chemicals. 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. In addition to drug trafficking, the Sinaloa Cartel is also involved in money laundering, kidnapping, and human trafficking. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. 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. This prosecution is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. "Our bus had just passed a spot where it happened - literally, if we had waited another 30 minutes before passing, we would have been in the cross of it. "It's died down a bit," he says. 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. Hewassentenced to life in prison, plus 30 years. More than 100 flights were cancelled at local airports as a result. Another splinter group of the BLO, Los Rojos operates in central and southwestern Mexico and relies largely on kidnapping and extortion. January 31, 2022, How Tobacco Laws Could Help Close the Racial Gap on Cancer, Interactive Cartels use a portion of their vast profits to pay off judges, officers, and politicians. In sweeping indictments, the Justice Department targeted two dozen operatives in the Chapitos network of the Sinaloa cartel. Furious gang members set up road blocks, set fire to dozens of vehicles and attacked planes at a local airport. Reputed Sinaloa drug cartel members set to go on trial Monday in El Paso, El Paso trial of reputed Sinaloa members focuses on drug cartel's operations, methods, Sinaloa cartel members, law enforcement testify in 2nd week of 'Wedding Murders' trial, Reputed drug cartel boss 'El Jaguar' wounded, arrested in Mexican army shootout, 'The worst it's ever been.' In 2014 Guzmn was apprehended in Mazatln, Sinaloa, Mexico, but the following year he escaped from prison through a tunnel. Officials claimedIglesias-Villegas was a "significant participant in the death of thousands of people in Ciudad Juarez from 2008 to 2011.". 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 . Shows Urquidi was accused of smuggling drugs, weapons and cash through tanker trucks and airplanes. 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. And, he asked him why hed lost a load of drugs. Garland said Friday that the Sinaloa Cartel is "largely responsible" for the increased fentanyl trafficking into the U.S. He also recalled the kidnapping of a man named Sergio Salcedo who was moved from one safe house to another in Jurez. We may have been far from it but we were close enough to see many people driving pretty fast in the opposite direction.". 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. On that day, convoys of gunmen from El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel clashed with rival gunmen from the Beltran Leyva Cartel. No civilian deaths have yet been reported. Jurez Cartel. A $15 million reward is being offered for information leading to Zambada'sarrest andconviction. . Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars, A Conversation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, Virtual Event 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. 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. A further 35 military personnel were injured and 21 gunmen were arrested, Defence Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said on Friday. Dismantling this notorious criminal organization flooding the U.S. with deadly narcotics and brutal criminal activity takes the collaboration of a multitude of law enforcement agencies and we are seeing the results of our collective efforts in todays indictment, said Special Agent in Charge Chad A. Plantz, HSIs San Diego Field Office. New U.S. Justice Department indictments contain this image of armed gang members allegedly associated with the Chapitos network of the Sinaloa cartel. 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. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. Culiacan Airport resumed operations on Friday. "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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Attorneys Andrew Erskine and Erika Csicsila for the Northern District of Illinois, are prosecuting the case. All schools across the whole state of Sinaloa were closed on Friday, the local government body overseeing education said. A locked padlock He remains detained in Mexico pending extradition proceedings. Shows Urquidi allegedly told the informant:How do you think they found him? ", The trial focused on the operation of the cartel and several murders committed by the criminal organization, including the abduction and killing of three people May 7, 2010, during a wedding at a church in Jurez, The killings were referred to throughout the trial as the Wedding Murders.. November 4, 2022 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. According to Grillo, public murders peaked in 2012. 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. The groom,Rafael Morales Valencia,who was fromColumbus, New Mexico,his brother, Jaime Morales Valencia, and their uncle, Guadalupe Morales Arreola, were kidnapped and killed during a drug war between the Sinaloa and Jurez drug cartels, according to court testimony and court documents. This indictment shows our commitment to aggressively go after those committing financial crimes who are profiting from their illegal activities no matter who they are or where they commit the crime.. 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 two are accused of being involved in the Sinaloa cartels operations Jurez in connection to murders, kidnappings, and drug trafficking. February 1, 2023 The indictment alleges that the Chapitos moved drugs and money on a grand scale, and secured and maintained power with intimidation and violence, said IRS-CI Chief Jim Lee. Sinaloa Cartel. However, some vigilantes have committed rights abuses, including the recruitment of child fighters; allegedly maintained ties to cartels in exchange for weapons and protection; and even turned to organized crime themselves. His hugs not bullets approach seeks to address the socioeconomic drivers of organized crime by creating job opportunities. The woman who had been recorded was flanked by a man with a rifle as she asked questions. by Will Freeman In recent years, the group has splintered into several factions, including La Lnea, which controls street-level enforcement. The militarized crackdown was a centerpiece of Calderns tenure. Asia Program. The indictment describes the cartels alleged drug transportation and distribution networks; its financial infrastructure that has laundered hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit proceeds; and the extensive use of violence to maintain power, including an internal power struggle.
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