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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. In 2019 he was found guilty on various charges, including drug trafficking. 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. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. We will continue to leverage our law enforcement partnerships to keep pressure on transnational criminal organizations like Los Chapitos.. It splintered from the Gulf Cartel in 2010 and held sway over swaths of eastern, central, and southern Mexico. 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. Possibly fearing extradition to the United States, Guzmn escaped from prison in 2001. "The United States government is using every tool at its disposal to combat the fentanyl epidemic," Garland said, "Many of us have heard the stories of those who have lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning. Read about our approach to external linking. In 2014 Guzmn was apprehended in Mazatln, Sinaloa, Mexico, but the following year he escaped from prison through a tunnel. The U.S.-Mexico relationship took a major hit in October 2020, when U.S. authorities arrested General Salvador Cienfuegos Zepeda, a former Mexican defense minister, in Los Angeles for drug trafficking and money laundering. While other organizations expanded into human trafficking and extortion, among other activities, the Sinaloa cartel remained largely centred on drugs. These indictments were made possible by our cooperation with local, state, and federal partners. Calderns successor said he would focus more on reducing violence against civilians and businesses than on removing the leaders of cartels. Updates? However, it has lost power in recent years and fractured into rival wings, the most prominent being the Northeast Cartel. Asia Program. 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. Guzman, who was reputed to be a billionaire, pulled off a series of Houdini-like escapes from Mexican. The initiative has evolved to reflect the priorities of national leaders. by Scott A. Snyder 2023 www.elpasotimes.com. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. The cowardly murder of two priests and a tour guide in northern Mexico has made headlines for the last week, but for the country's crime-ridden border states, it's just another example of everyday criminality. 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. 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. Culiacan Airport resumed operations on Friday. President Obama widened the scope of aid to target fundamental reforms to Mexicos justice system and to develop crime-prevention programs at the community level, among other efforts, in what became known as Mrida 2.0 [PDF]. By 2007, Mexican cartels controlled an estimated 90 percent [PDF] of the cocaine entering the United States. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Latin America Studies Program, Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar: Religion and Technology, Virtual Event Powerful figures in the Guadalajara organization, the two men became leaders in the Sinaloa cartel. Read about our approach to external linking. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. First published on April 14, 2023 / 11:53 AM. 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. April 18, 2023. According to the Justice Department, both sides "pledged" to increase information-sharing and cooperation on criminal investigations. February 1, 2023 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. Zambada still iswanted by the U.S. governmenton several criminal charges related to the Sinaloa drug cartel. 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. 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. Accident; Beating; Beheading; Cartel; Cops; Crime; . President Biden inherited a tense security relationship with Mexico, with bilateral cooperation focused mostly on migration, COVID-19, and trade. 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. 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. It was me or him.. 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. The PRIs unbroken reign finally ended in 2000 with the election of President Vicente Fox of the conservative National Action Party (PAN). 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. 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. Two reputed Sinaloa drug cartel members were convicted for their roles in the criminal organization. Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador (2018present). Dozens of politicians were killed ahead of the countrys midterm elections in 2021, with many of the deaths attributed to the cartels. They are also charged with additional drug trafficking, money laundering, firearms and violent crimes. Nationwide, the country registered 493 drug-related deaths that month, 64 of them . Attorneys Andrew Erskine and Erika Csicsila for the Northern District of Illinois, are prosecuting the case. Mexican authorities have been waging a deadly battle against drug cartels for more than a decade, but with limited success. "Law Enforcement also took possession of millions of dollars in drug proceeds which were destined to be returned to the Cartel in Mexico. A video posted on social media appears to show passengers crouching and cowering in their seats. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Defense attorneys asked where the video was from and questioned if the transcript was accurate. The indictment offers the most comprehensive look yet at the operations of the Sinaloa Cartel dating back 15 years. The witness, who admitted to being in the team, looked on as violent images filled the screens in the courtroom. 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. He also created a new national police force, or gendarmerie, of several thousand officers. The two are accused of being involved in the Sinaloa cartels operations Jurez in connection to murders, kidnappings, and drug trafficking. 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. More than 100 flights were cancelled at local airports as a result. The capture in 2016 of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the ex-leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel, sparked a struggle for control of northwestern Mexico's crime and trafficking underworld. The witness said he had driven a vehicle and transported Salcedo. Suspect in "killer clown" case pleads guilty in 1990 murder of Florida . A further 35 military personnel were injured and 21 gunmen were arrested, Defence Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said on Friday. 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. This prosecution is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. One of the most chilling examples of these abuses occurred in the southern state of Guerrero in 2014, when forty-three student protesters were abducted and presumably killed, though remains of only three students have been definitively identified. Omissions? Ukraines Counteroffensive: Will It Retake Crimea? What has Mexico done to stem the drug trade. Global Climate Agreements: Successes and Failures, Backgrounder American-made guns trafficked through Florida ports are destabilizing the Caribbean and Central America and fueling domestic crime. The cartel is allegedly responsible for waves of murders, kidnappings and assassinations. In sweeping indictments, the Justice Department targeted two dozen operatives in the Chapitos network of the Sinaloa cartel. The cartels and the drug trade fuel rampant, to tens of thousands of homicides in the country each. 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. Sinaloa cartel, international crime organization that is among the most-powerful drug-trafficking syndicates in the world. Retired El Paso DEA leader gives somber view of drug problem. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Guerreros Unidos (GU). The cartels flourished during the seven decades that Mexico was ruled by a single party, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). The militarized crackdown was a centerpiece of Calderns tenure. 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 footage of the massacre was released Wednesday and is part of the increasing violence in the southern Mexican state of Geurrero, reports said. 0:36. The Beltran Leyva brothers were also at the center of the Sinaloa Cartel's security operations. In Cancun alone there was 540 murders last year. 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. "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. Amy Tikkanen is the general corrections manager, handling a wide range of topics that include Hollywood, politics, books, and anything related to the. Of the 24 charged, eight are in custody across the globe. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. 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. Two Mexican Air Force aircraft were forced to make emergency landings after they were hit by gunfire from the cartel, Defence Minister Sandoval said. Guzmans case in the Western District of Texas remains pending, according to court records. No customers or employees were harmed, it said. Traffickers employ various tactics to evade detection by U.S. authorities at the border. Shows Urquidi is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 10, whilesentencing for Iglesias-Villegas is set for Feb.11, according to theU.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas. While still active, LFM has weakened and fragmented in recent years. Lock is currently serving a life sentence in a federal prison in Colorado after being convicted in 2019 of numerous drug and murder conspiracy charges. HSI proudly stands with our local, state and federal partners as we disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel to end the violence they fuel across the country. 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. In Brief All rights reserved. April 19, 2023 US President Joe Biden is due to visit Mexico for a North American leaders' summit next week. 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. Gabino Salas-Valenciano, Jesus Rodrigo Fierro-Ramirez and Emigdio MartinezJr. died while their cases werepending in federal court, court records show. A Congressional Research Service report details the scope and activities [PDF] of Mexicos drug trafficking groups. The fuselage of a plane scheduled to fly from Culiacn to Mexico City was hit by gunfire during the operation on Thursday morning as it was preparing for take-off, Mexican airline Aeromexico said. 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 . But a federal judge in Mexico has now suspended any extradition process against him, according to local media. 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. Corrections? The US had put out a reward of up to $5m (4.2m) for information leading to his arrest or conviction, as well as that of three of his brothers who are also thought to have kept their positions of command in the group. To make the most of your backyard, look for durable and comfortable seating options. 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 Sinaloa Cartel has been responsible for a long string of murders throughout its history. The amount of fentanyl seized by Mexican authorities nearly quintupled between 2019 and 2020. Officials claimedIglesias-Villegas was a "significant participant in the death of thousands of people in Ciudad Juarez from 2008 to 2011.". Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars, A Conversation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, Virtual Event 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. The incident prompted mass demonstrations, with protesters demanding answers about the abductions and expressing their exhaustion with Mexicos endemic corruption, violence, and other crime. 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. 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. 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]. 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. April 28, 2023. In 2017, Americans spent $153 billion [PDF] on illegal drugs, including cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine. 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. He also provided security forstash houses, where thousands of kilograms of cocaine were unloaded, officials said. April 25, 2023 Videos on social media have shown burning buses blocking roads in Culiacn. This timeline traces the role of the outside forces that have beleaguered eastern Congo since the end of the colonial era. His hugs not bullets approach seeks to address the socioeconomic drivers of organized crime by creating job opportunities. Enrique Pea Nieto (20122018). Mexican security forces had previously arrested Mr Guzmn-Lpez in 2019 but released him to avoid the threat of violence from his supporters. CJNG, which routinely faces off with its No. The witness said Marrufo ordered him to be killed and for his men to mutilate his body. 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. 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. He was accused of being the head of a group of Sinaloa cartel sicarios, or hit men. 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. Mexico 9 307 13 0. SAN DIEGO - Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael Zambada-Imperial, aka "Mayito Gordo," pleaded guilty in federal court today to drug trafficking charges following his extradition to the Southern District of California in December 2019. 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 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. A $15 million reward is being offered for information leading to Zambada'sarrest andconviction. The witness said Iglesias was aware of such incidents and was involved. Law enforcement officers also acted as bodyguards forhigh ranking members of the cartel, according to testimony. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sinaloa-cartel, The Brookings Institution - How the Sinaloa Cartel rules, El Chapo sons charged with smuggling cheap fentanyl to US, El Chapo sons among 28 Sinaloa cartel members charged by US. Aaron Martinez may be reached at 915-546-6249; aamartinez@elpasotimes.com; @AMartinezEPTon Twitter. "There was a lot of fear, people were scared," Ms Goldbas said. 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. Shows Urquidi was accused of smuggling drugs, weapons and cash through tanker trucks and airplanes. Today, we say, no more. 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. She said online platforms are usually where the initial contact between buyer and sellers occurs and described social media applications as the "super highway" of the fentanyl supply chain. The 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. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Though the United States later dropped the charges and allowed Cienfuegos to return to Mexico, the Mexican government responded by restricting U.S. law enforcement agents power to operate in the country. 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.
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