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. ", 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. Beheading By Chainsaw Photo: Mexico Attorney General's Office / via CT Post / Public Domain 2023 BBC. Garland said Friday that the Sinaloa Cartel is "largely responsible" for the increased fentanyl trafficking into the U.S. 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. The 49-year-old Sinaloa Cartel member, who is suspected of having killed dozens, goes by the nickname "La Barbie" thanks to his blue eyes. Europe Program, What Northern Ireland Teaches Us About Ending the Ukraine War, Article The operation, which began at dawn in Culiacn, in Sinaloa state, north-west Mexico, sparked a wave of violence from armed cartel members. Several other defendants indicted in El Paso in 2012 have pleaded guilty. There is an epidemic of murder in Mexico and the majority of it is committed by organized crime," said Jeffrey James Higgins, retired. Iglesias-Villegas also was convicted for his participation in the kidnapping and eventual murder of Horizon City residentSergio Saucedo, officials said. This assistance has gone toward purchases of military aircraft, surveillance software, and other equipment. 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. Families and communities across our country are being devastated by the fentanyl epidemic. Its origins can be traced to the Guadalajara cartel, which was one of Mexicos largest crime organizations in the early 1980s. In the past decade, the group has splintered into various factions, diluting its strength as it battles for territory with Los Zetas. What was a simple all-out war between the Sinaloa cartel and the Arellano's for control of the "Tijuana plaza" the coveted territory to traffic narcotics into the United States has now. "The Sinaloa Cartel is a savage and brutal organization. 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. Though AMLO has framed his strategy as a novel approach, some experts say his actionsincluding deploying a new military-led national guard to boost securityecho his predecessors tactics and are unsuccessful. 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. Gulf Cartel. The vehicle was guarded during transport, he added. But 2015 saw an uptick, and by the end of his term, the number of homicides had risen to the highest level in modern Mexican history. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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 two are accused of being involved in the Sinaloa cartels operations in Jurez in connection to murders, kidnappings, and drug trafficking. 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. 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! Jalisco splintered from Sinaloa in 2010 and is among Mexicos fastest-growing cartels, with operations in more than two-thirds of the country. A video taken by cartel members during the commission of crimes or punishment of guilty members. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. President Biden inherited a tense security relationship with Mexico, with bilateral cooperation focused mostly on migration, COVID-19, and trade. 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. The militarized crackdown was a centerpiece of Calderns tenure. 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 . Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. Testimony came from several Mexicanlocal and state law enforcement officers who were working for the cartels and taking bribes to ignore the drug and weapon trafficking done by the criminal organization. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. "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. Formerly led by Joaqun El Chapo Guzmn, Sinaloa is one of Mexicos oldest and most influential drug trafficking groups. Both men were found guilty ofconspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes,racketeering conspiracy,conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute,conspiracy to import a controlled substance,and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. 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. All rights reserved. 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. "There was a lot of fear, people were scared," Ms Goldbas said. Sinaloa Cartel. 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. CJNG, which routinely faces off with its No. According to the DEA, the "rapid expansion of its. NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY - April 30, 2021. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Democratic Republic of Congo has been subjected to centuries of international intervention by European powers, as well as its African neighbors. . Beltrn-Leyva Organization (BLO). 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. Ivan Sanchez-Hernandez, a former memberofthe Jurez municipal police force, pleaded guilty Feb. 28, 2020, to one count of continuing criminal enterprise. Iglesias-Villegas was one of the drivers of the vehicles used during the kidnapping of the victims, the affidavit states. Still, President Pea Nieto relied heavily [PDF] on the military, in combination with the federal police, to battle the cartels. 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. Dozens of politicians were killed ahead of the countrys midterm elections in 2021, with many of the deaths attributed to the cartels. 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. Amy Tikkanen is the general corrections manager, handling a wide range of topics that include Hollywood, politics, books, and anything related to the. First published on April 14, 2023 / 11:53 AM. 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. 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Director of Media Relations Kelly Thornton (619) 546-9726 . An official website of the United States government. Their bodies were left in an affluent area in Jurez along Avenida Plutarco Elas Calles. He described the DEA's. He was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison. Mexican authorities have been waging a deadly battle against drug cartels for more than a decade, but with limited success. 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. 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 time, some more detail about the activities Iglesias was involved in were detailed. Law enforcement officers also acted as bodyguards forhigh ranking members of the cartel, according to testimony. Yeah some people get outraged over shootings. 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. 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. 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. Its base of power is in northeast Mexico, especially the states of Tamaulipas and Zacatecas, and it is thought to be working with CJNG members in those areas. This timeline traces the role of the outside forces that have beleaguered eastern Congo since the end of the colonial era. 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 . Meanwhile, the homicide rate continues to hover around record levels. 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. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Marrufo interrogated the man in a safe house, the witness said. CFRs Global Conflict Tracker looks at criminal violence in Mexico. Nearly 200 people die every day from fentanyl poisoning. President Donald Trump shifted U.S. priorities for Mrida to issues including border security and combating drug production and money laundering. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. According to Grillo, public murders peaked in 2012. He is accused of leading a faction of his father's notorious Sinaloa cartel - one of the largest drug-trafficking organisations in the world. CBS News Poll: How GOP primary race could be Trump v. 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Gabino Salas-Valenciano, Jesus Rodrigo Fierro-Ramirez and Emigdio MartinezJr. died while their cases werepending in federal court, court records show. The victims' bodies were discovered by Jurez police a few days later in the bed of an abandoned pickup, officials said. A witness said Jos Antonio Marrufo, who was at the helm of the Sinaloas operations in Jurez, had a team of people that dealt with murders, kidnappings and dumping of bodies. 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. The attorney general said the U.S. government would work to seek their extradition to face charges on American soil. 1 nemesis, the Sinaloa Cartel, dominates the majority supply of everything from methamphetamine and heroin to the devastating synthetic opioid. With new politicians in power, cartels ramped up violence against the government in an effort to reestablish their hold [PDF] on the state. Shows Urquidi allegedly told the informant:How do you think they found him? It was me or him.. 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. Iglesias became a member of the Sinaloa Cartel under Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman-Loera in early 2008. The witness said Iglesias was aware of such incidents and was involved. It is based in Culiacn, Sinaloa state, Mexico. Also, a former police officer with the Jurez police department had been on the opposite side of the Sinaloas. In Cancun alone there was 540 murders last year. Estimates of its annual revenue ranged from $3 billion to $39 billion. 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. He will now arrive on Sunday, a day earlier than previously expected, according to a tweet by Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. The US announced an award of $5m for information leading to Mr Guzmn-Lpez's arrest. 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. By 2007, Mexican cartels controlled an estimated 90 percent [PDF] of the cocaine entering the United States. Guerreros Unidos (GU). The Sinaloa Cartel has been responsible for a long string of murders throughout its history. In the ensuing turf battles, a wave of unprecedented violence swept Mexico. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. What has Mexico done to stem the drug trade. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A $15 million reward is being offered for information leading to Zambada'sarrest andconviction. In 2014 Guzmn was apprehended in Mazatln, Sinaloa, Mexico, but the following year he escaped from prison through a tunnel. https://seegore.com/rival-cartel-leaders-wife-beheaded/ Culiacn alone saw 116 murders, 24 of them policemen. Jurez Cartel. He was a significant participant in the death of thousands of people in Ciudad Juarez from 2008 to 2011. In Mexico, the cartels use a portion of their vast profits to pay off judges, officers, and politicians. Mexicos drug cartels are in a constant state of flux. Cartels use a portion of their vast profits to pay off judges, officers, and politicians. 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. "Law Enforcement also took possession of millions of dollars in drug proceeds which were destined to be returned to the Cartel in Mexico. New U.S. Justice Department indictments contain this image of armed gang members allegedly associated with the Chapitos network of the Sinaloa cartel. The next image they saw was a photograph of her lifeless body bleeding shortly after the recording. "As we were accelerating for take-off, we heard gunshots very close to the plane, and that's when we all threw ourselves to the floor," one of the passengers, David Tellez, told Reuters news agency. The 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 . "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. Renewing America, Backgrounder The witness said most kidnappings and murders were conducted by a team that included him and Iglesias. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. with Justin Trudeau The two are accused of being involved in the Sinaloa cartels operations Jurez in connection to murders, kidnappings, and drug trafficking. We may have been far from it but we were close enough to see many people driving pretty fast in the opposite direction.". While still active, LFM has weakened and fragmented in recent years. Thousands of Mexicansincluding politicians, students, and journalistsdie in the conflict every year. 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. It splintered from the Gulf Cartel in 2010 and held sway over swaths of eastern, central, and southern Mexico. 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. The group formed when the Beltrn-Leyva brothers split from Sinaloa in 2008. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. It is an offshoot of the Guadalajara cartel,. The initiative has evolved to reflect the priorities of national leaders. 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 . 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. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. by Lindsay Maizland The witness said his hands were ordered cut off as a message not to steal from the cartel. 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. President Caldern declared war on the cartels shortly after taking office. Mexican security forces had previously arrested Mr Guzmn-Lpez in 2019 but released him to avoid the threat of violence from his supporters. MEXICO / 29 JUN 2022 BY HENRY SHULDINER EN. . The trial began with juryselection Oct. 4, with a verdict reached Friday. The United States has cooperated with Mexico on security and counternarcotics to varying degrees over the past several decades. In August 2022, a judge ordered the former attorney general who oversaw the original investigation to stand trial on charges of forced disappearance, failure to report torture, and misconduct. 0:36. 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. We are grateful to them. Recent efforts have centered on the Mrida Initiative; since Presidents George W. Bush and Caldern launched the partnership [PDF] in 2007, the United States has appropriated more than $3 billion for it. Retired El Paso DEA leader gives somber view of drug problem. We will continue to leverage our law enforcement partnerships to keep pressure on transnational criminal organizations like Los Chapitos.. I found him. Nationwide, the country registered 493 drug-related deaths that month, 64 of them . The indictment offers the most comprehensive look yet at the operations of the Sinaloa Cartel dating back 15 years. They allegedly maintained a network of couriers, tunnels, and stash houses throughout Mexico and the United States to further their drug-trafficking activities. It was a blow to Mexicos efforts to fight drugs and further underscored the power of both the Sinaloa cartel and Guzmn. Sinaloa cartel assassins group leader 'Grim Reaper' gets life in 'Wedding Murders' case. Three brothers remain at large; Ovidio Guzman Lopez was arrested Jan. 5, 2023, by Mexican authorities in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. In the early 2000s, they recruited a young, ex-football player from Laredo named Edgar Valdez Villareal. 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. 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 he had driven a vehicle and transported Salcedo. 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 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. 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. Extra security, including U.S. marshals and metal detectors, was presentthroughout the trial. 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. For the special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation, the work of investigating dangerous criminals never stops. with Heidi Campbell and Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, Mexicos Long War: Drugs, Crime, and the Cartels. 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.. To make the most of your backyard, look for durable and comfortable seating options. 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. But during and after the arrest, 10 soldiers and 19 suspects were killed. A video showed a Mexican cartel lining up. by Lindsay Maizland And, he asked him why hed lost a load of drugs. According to reports, Ismael (El Mayo) Zambada Garca, one of the cartels original members, and Guzmns sons assumed control of the organization, which remained incredibly powerful. Investigators say the accused part of the "Chapitos" network facilitated the purchase of the precursor chemicals of fentanyl from China, manufactured the deadly drug in Mexico, and then worked to smuggle the substance into the U.S. Four Chinese nationals and one Guatemalan national were charged with supplying fentanyl ingredients to the cartel. He was sentenced to 27 years in prison. 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 . Global Health Program, Why the Situation in Cuba Is Deteriorating, In Brief It's time for the United States to get serious about stopping the flow. Another splinter group of the BLO, Los Rojos operates in central and southwestern Mexico and relies largely on kidnapping and extortion. Read about our approach to external linking. Guzman, who was reputed to be a billionaire, pulled off a series of Houdini-like escapes from Mexican. 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. April 19, 2023 With U.S. assistance, the Mexican military captured or killed twenty-five of the top thirty-seven drug kingpins in Mexico.
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