The International Crisis Groups Falko Ernst visualizes Mexicos war against the cartels. A cooler workweek with chance of showers, Cold front Friday with strong winds; perfect Saturday, Friday Forecast: Windy Friday before calm weekend, LCPD: Hot weather dangerous for kids, pets in cars, NM States Chris Ojoh and Lazarus Williams invited, NM States Garrison Smith wins WAC Mens Golf Championships, Chihuahuas suffer 8-4 loss to Bees in series finale, Assistant coaches pacts expire; last player to transfer, NM prep baseball, softball playoff brackets revealed, Girls inspiring journey leads to Loretto Academy, These were the deadliest national parks of 2022, Brave Books celebrates Small Bookstore Day, La Vina Winery Spring Wine Festival 2023 Ticket Giveaway, Paso Del Norte Mothers Day Staycation Contest, Testimony: Sinaloa cartel operatives moved drugs in El Paso parking lots and safe houses, 13 luxurious bags that are way cheaper than they, Hammocks, outdoor lounge chairs and cushions to make, Laredo mayor declares migrant state of emergency, Mayor encouraging New Yorkers to put AirTags in cars, Border chief warns against teens driving for cartels, Exhibit celebrates 200 years of U.S.-Mexico relations, New videos shed light on fire that killed 40 in Juarez. Guerreros Unidos (GU). 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. Three brothers remain at large; Ovidio Guzman Lopez was arrested Jan. 5, 2023, by Mexican authorities in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. 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. April 19, 2023 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. Global Climate Agreements: Successes and Failures, Backgrounder All the witnesses who worked forthe cartel and the jailhouse informant eachadmitted they were hoping their testimony in the case would result in their prison sentences being reduced. Thousands of Mexicansincluding politicians, students, and journalistsdie in the conflict every year. More:Reputed drug cartel boss 'El Jaguar' wounded, arrested in Mexican army shootout, More:'The worst it's ever been.' "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. This timeline traces the role of the outside forces that have beleaguered eastern Congo since the end of the colonial era. Aaron Martinez may be reached at 915-546-6249; aamartinez@elpasotimes.com; @AMartinezEPTon Twitter. 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. Gulf Cartel. with Justin Trudeau 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 two are accused of being involved in the Sinaloa cartels operations in Jurez in connection to murders, kidnappings, and drug trafficking. / CBS News. Updated on: April 14, 2023 / 7:23 PM The FBI wants the four Chinese nationals captured and is offering a $1 million reward, though taking them into custody to face charges in the U.S. will likely prove difficult. The incident prompted mass demonstrations, with protesters demanding answers about the abductions and expressing their exhaustion with Mexicos endemic corruption, violence, and other crime. Cartels use a portion of their vast profits to pay off judges, officers, and politicians. All schools across the whole state of Sinaloa were closed on Friday, the local government body overseeing education said. "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. 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. In the face of unimaginable pain, those families have shown extraordinary bravery in sharing their stories. Recent Mexican administrations have responded to cartels primarily by deploying security forces, often spurring more violence: Felipe Caldern (20062012). Calderns successor said he would focus more on reducing violence against civilians and businesses than on removing the leaders of cartels. Renewing America, Timeline 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. But many drug policy experts say this won't slow fentanyl deaths. During interrogation, Campos told authorities he distributes illegal narcotics for the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, according to the criminal complaint. The head of a group of assassins for the Sinaloa drug cartel was sentenced to life in prison Thursday in U . Asia Program. Former Sinaloa drug cartel members and associates, along with law enforcement, continued to testify about the notorious criminal organization as the second week of the "Wedding Murders . 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. The United States has cooperated with Mexico on security and counternarcotics to varying degrees over the past several decades. Garland said Friday that the Sinaloa Cartel is "largely responsible" for the increased fentanyl trafficking into the U.S. . A related indictment charging three of the brothers was also unsealed by the Southern District of New York. 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. Weekly. Traffickers employ various tactics to evade detection by U.S. authorities at the border. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The team used a stolen Jeep to transport the bodies, he said. The footage of the massacre was released Wednesday and is part of the increasing violence in the southern Mexican state of Geurrero, reports said. Read about our approach to external linking. In Mexico, the cartels use a portion of their vast profits to pay off judges, officers, and politicians. The New Yorker joins Mexican mothers as they search for the bodies of their children, who have disappeared amid Mexicos war on drugs. He went on trial in 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York andwas convicted on several drug trafficking, weaponand operating a criminal enterprise charges. The Democratic Republic of Congo has been subjected to centuries of international intervention by European powers, as well as its African neighbors. Homicides declined in the first years of Pea Nietos presidency. We are grateful to them. There were blockades in different parts of the city and residents were urged to stay at home. According to the Justice Department, both sides "pledged" to increase information-sharing and cooperation on criminal investigations. Ukraine remains intent on wresting Crimea back from Russia, but doing so would be difficult, and the peninsula could become a bargaining chip in future diplomatic talks. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Lock Tell us my emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Mexican suppliers are responsible for most heroin and methamphetamine production, while cocaine is largely produced in Colombia and then transported to the United States by Mexican criminal organizations. Yeah some people get outraged over shootings. We will continue to leverage our law enforcement partnerships to keep pressure on transnational criminal organizations like Los Chapitos.. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. 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. 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. The cartel is allegedly responsible for waves of murders, kidnappings and assassinations. 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. More than seventy-nine thousand people have disappeared since 2006, primarily at the hands of criminal organizations such as the cartels, though government forces also play a role. As part of a plea agreement, several other drug and weapon charges were dismissed, according to court records. "Law Enforcement also took possession of millions of dollars in drug proceeds which were destined to be returned to the Cartel in Mexico. The PRIs unbroken reign finally ended in 2000 with the election of President Vicente Fox of the conservative National Action Party (PAN). For the . For related Department of Justice press release, indictments and link to DEA fugitive photos, please seehttps://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-charges-against-sinaloa-cartel-s-global-operation. 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 . 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. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. A long-standing rival of Sinaloa, Jurez has its stronghold in the north-central state of Chihuahua, across the border from New Mexico and Texas. 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. 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. Murdered Protesters On March 2010, six farmers who had been protesting the building of a dam near Culiacan, Sinaloa were gunned down by Sinaloa Cartel gunmen during a firefight. These indictments were made possible by our cooperation with local, state, and federal partners. "The violence gave rise to Ciudad Juarez being named the deadliest city in the world.. 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. Mexican drug cartels are leading suppliers of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other illicit narcotics to the United States. The Chapitos also allegedly obtained precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs and operated laboratories to manufacture methamphetamine. Murders have spiked in Mexico's northern state of Sonora, thanks to the volatile mix of a veteran drug trafficker's alleged return, internal disputes within the Sinaloa Cartel, and an offensive by the powerful Jalisco Cartel New Generation. The Sinaloa Cartel has been responsible for a long string of murders throughout its history. Officials claimedIglesias-Villegas was a "significant participant in the death of thousands of people in Ciudad Juarez from 2008 to 2011.". 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. After Mexican traffickers smuggle wholesale shipments of drugs into the United States, local groups and street gangs manage retail-level distribution in cities throughout the country. Many shops were also looted and gunfire exchanges took place between security forces and gang members. This case and others we have brought out of the Southern District of Californiademonstrate our unwavering resolveto dismantle the Sinaloa Cartel by attacking it at every level., These indictments have been a long time in the making and we wouldnt be here without the collaboration of our local, state, federal, and international partners, said Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy of the FBIs San Diego Field Office. 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. Many of its members are related by birth or by marriage. Mexico 9 307 13 0. On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. Iglesias-Villegas, 36, and Shows Urquidi, 50,were among24 alleged Sinaloa cartel members indicted in 2012 overtheir roles in the drug organization. In recent years, the group has splintered into several factions, including La Lnea, which controls street-level enforcement. The two are accused of being involved in the Sinaloa cartels operations Jurez in connection to murders, kidnappings, and drug trafficking. Theres nothing like lazy summer days relaxing on the patio. Sinaloa cartel assassins group leader 'Grim Reaper' gets life in 'Wedding Murders' case. 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.