The Justice Department has charged over two dozen members of the Mexico-based Sinaloa cartel, including top leaders, for their alleged roles in the illicit fentanyl supply chain after a lengthy and sprawling investigation into a problem that is killing tens of thousands of Americans and remains a thorn in the White House’s side.
Charges filed Friday in New York, Illinois and the District allege drug, money laundering and gun offenses and target Mexican criminal traffickers who manufacture fentanyl, often with the use of Chinese precursor chemicals, before distributing them in the U.S. with deadly results.
The Justice Department said seven of the defendants are in custody and awaiting extradition.
“This is one of the most significant groupings of fentanyl-focused criminal charges ever brought,” White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said.
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the charges as President Biden faces intense pressure to lean on Mexico and crack down on the flow of deadly synthetic opioids that are far more powerful than heroin and often kill those who use them. Some Republicans want to label the cartels as terrorists or authorize the use of U.S. military force against them.
Mexican officials visited Washington this week to discuss drug enforcement with the U.S. side even as Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador suggests publicly that fentanyl production does not occur within his borders. Administration officials said it was a constructive meeting and that Mexican officials know the cartels are producing fentanyl in their country.
Roughly 70,000 of the 107,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. were linked at least in part to fentanyl in 2021, the most recent year for which complete figures are available. The U.S. government says nearly all of the fentanyl supply flows out of Mexico, often in the form of counterfeit pills.
Friday’s charges were the result of an intense operation in which Drug Enforcement Administration agents infiltrated the Sinaloa cartel and the “Chapitos” drug network to gain access to the highest levels of leadership.
The Chapitos include Ivan Guzman Salazar, 40, Alfredo Guzman Salazar, 37, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, 36, and Ovidio Guzman Lopez, 33.
They are the sons of Joaquin Guzman Loera, or “El Chapo,” who used to lead the vicious Sinaloa cartel and is serving a life sentence in Colorado.
The Justice Department said they have trafficked fentanyl and other drugs for over a decade and used boats, submarines, rail, buses and other means to ship their product. They also used a network of couriers, tunnels and stash houses in Mexico and the U.S. for their operations.
Charges were filed against 28 members of the Sinaloa cartel and their partners, including Chinese suppliers of precursor chemicals. Agents seized fentanyl, high-powered guns, grenade launchers and grenades as part of the operation.
“Today’s indictments target every element of the Sinaloa Cartel’s trafficking network and reflect the Justice Department’s commitment to attacking every aspect of this threat: from the chemical companies in China that spawn fentanyl precursors to the illicit labs that produce the poison, to the networks and money launderers and murderers that facilitate its distribution,” Mr. Garland said.
Senior administration officials on Friday acknowledged the sacrifice of Mexican investigators and military members who have died while engaging in high-risk investigations of drug cartels.
The charges were part of a one-two punch. The Treasury Department announced sanctions against two companies and five people for their alleged involvement in providing precursor chemicals needed to make illicit fentanyl.
The sanctions freeze any assets the companies or individuals hold in the U.S. Also, anyone who tries to do business with the individuals in the U.S. could face penalties.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.