US Justice Department Arrests Key Sinaloa Cartel Leaders Amid Fentanyl Crackdown

 

The U.S. Justice Department has arrested two high-ranking leaders of Mexico's notorious Sinaloa cartel, including co-founder Ismael Zambada Garcia, commonly known as "El Mayo," in a major move against fentanyl trafficking operations.

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the arrests of Zambada and Joaquin Guzman, another prominent figure in the cartel, highlighting the charges against them for allegedly orchestrating the cartel’s illicit fentanyl production and distribution networks. The arrests were executed in El Paso, Texas, on Thursday.

“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced,” Garland stated. “The Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable.”

The charges against Zambada and Guzman are part of an intensified crackdown on the Sinaloa cartel, which has long been a major player in the illegal drug trade. Last year, the Justice Department charged over two dozen cartel members, including the sons of the infamous Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, for their roles in supplying precursor chemicals necessary for fentanyl production.

Operating from Sonoyta, a city along the Mexico-Arizona border, the Sinaloa cartel has been involved in smuggling vast quantities of illegal drugs, along with significant amounts of money and weapons, across the U.S.-Mexico border. According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the cartel has been a central figure in drug trafficking operations between the two countries.

Zambada, who co-founded the Sinaloa cartel alongside Guzman, faces multiple charges related to drug trafficking and organized crime in the U.S. Federal prosecutors previously charged him with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl.

The arrests come shortly after the Department of Justice indicted two dozen individuals for their roles in a scheme involving Chinese “underground bankers” who allegedly assisted the Sinaloa cartel in laundering over $50 million in drug profits. This investigation uncovered a network of financial operations linking cartel associates with a Chinese criminal syndicate, exploiting the demand for U.S. dollars among Chinese nationals.

The recent actions underscore the Justice Department's ongoing efforts to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and curb the proliferation of dangerous substances like fentanyl.