Sinaloa cartel tells its fentanyl producers to stop making opioid or be killed: report

Oct 17, 2023

Lauren Taylor Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Reporter), William Jackson (Producer), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

The Sinaloa cartel is ordering its members to stop fentanyl production and trafficking in response to increasing U.S. pressure. Non-compliance with this directive carries grave consequences, including abduction or death, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

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Led by El Chapo’s sons, the Sinaloa cartel issued this order to ease U.S. authorities’ ongoing scrutiny. They appear resolute in enforcing their threats.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, center, flanked by Attorney General Merrick Garland, left, and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, right, speaks during a news conference at the Justice Department in Washington, Friday, April 14, 2023. — Prosecutors revealed in a recent indictment that while Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán serves a life sentence, his sons have steered the family business into fentanyl, establishing a network of labs churning out massive quantities of the cheap, deadly drug that they smuggle into the U.S. Source: AP Images.

“The Chapitos have to maintain a reputation, so they’re much more violent than their father was, because they have to show other members of the cartel that they have a reputation where they’re going to take violent action if they have to,” said Mike Vigil, former head of the DEA’s international operations.

The Chapitos expect this move to redirect U.S. attention to their main rival, the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG). CJNG is another significant fentanyl producer and distributor. Both cartels have long been on the radar of U.S. authorities.

.@DEAHQ Administrator Anne Milgram: "The Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco (CJNG) Cartel, both cartels in Mexico, are responsible for the vast majority of fentanyl that is coming into the U.S. It is why DEA has made defeating those two cartels our top operational priority." pic.twitter.com/KqNOx9PPv5
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 15, 2023

“We know who is responsible. The Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco (CJNG) Cartel, both cartels in Mexico, are responsible for the vast majority of fentanyl that is coming into the U.S.,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said.

Despite this move by the Chapitos, U.S. officials remain skeptical about its lasting impact. One official even stated: “In the aggregate, it won’t mean anything.”

Fentanyl continues to drive a growing public health crisis. This highly potent synthetic opioid is a deadly threat. There are over 100,000 overdose deaths in the United States each year, and nearly two-thirds of them are linked to fentanyl.

This frame grab from video, provided by the Mexican government, shows Ovidio Guzman Lopez being detained in Culiacan, Mexico, Oct. 17, 2019. — Mexico extradited Guzman Lopez, a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, to the United States on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, to face drug trafficking charges, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. Source: AP Images.

Washington has already taken notice of this crisis. This year, Mexican security forces apprehended a leader of the Chapitos and extradited him to the United States. Additionally, in October, the Biden administration announced a series of indictments against eight Chinese companies accused of importing the chemicals used in fentanyl production.

“And we know that this global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies in China,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said.

To date, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has seized more than 25,000 pounds of fentanyl for the fiscal year 2023, a 10,000-pound increase from the previous year.

Tags: Anne Milgram, Drug cartels, Drug smuggling, El Chapo, Fentanyl, Merrick Garland, Mexico, Trafficking

U.S. PRESSURE TO CRACK DOWN ON FENTANYL HAS AT LEAST ONE MAJOR MEXICAN CRIME GROUP THREATENING ITS OWN MEMBERS, FORCING THEM TO COMPLY WITH THE U.S.’ DEMANDS.

THE SINALOA CARTEL, THE NUMBER ONE EXPORTER OF FENTANYL TO THE STATES, IS NOW ORDERING ITS OWN MEMBERS TO STOP PRODUCING OR TRAFFICKING THE OPIOID OR FACE CONSEQUENCES FROM THE ORGANIZATION — INCLUDING BEING KIDNAPPED OR KILLED..

THE sinaloa cartel, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE SONS OF KINGPIN EL CHAPO, PUT OUT THE ORDER IN AN ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE ONGOING PRESSURE FROM U.S. AUTHORITIES, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTED — AND THEY MEAN BUSINESS WITH THEIR THREATS..

MIKE VIGIL, FORMER HEAD OF DEA’S INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS

“The Chapitos have to maintain a reputation so they´re much more violent than their father was because they have to show other members of the cartel that they have a reputation where they´re going to take violent action if they have to.

THE CHAPITOS BELIEVE THE ORDER WILL MOVE THE U.S.’ FOCUS TO THEIR MAIN RIVAL — THE JALISCO NEW GENERATION CARTEL — ANOTHER MAJOR FENTANYL PRODUCER AND MOVER. BOTH CARTELS HAVE BEEN ON THE UNITED STATES’ RADAR FOR SOME TIME.

ANNE MILGRAM, ADMINISTRATOR, DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION

“We know who is responsible. The Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco (CJNG) Cartel, both cartels in Mexico, are responsible for the vast majority of fentanyl that is coming into the U.S.

U.S. OFFICIALS, THE JOURNAL SAID, ARE NOT CONVINCED THE CHAPITOS’ ORDER WILL HAVE ANY LASTING IMPACT, WITH ONE OFFICIAL SAYING “IN THE AGGREGATE IT WON’T MEAN ANYTHING”

FENTANYL IS A GROWING PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS. THE HIGHLY POTENT SYNTHETIC OPIOID HAS EMERGED AS A DEADLY THREAT. MORE THAN 100-THOUSAND DEATHS A YEAR HAVE BEEN LINKED TO DRUG OVERDOSES SINCE 20-20 AND NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF THOSE ARE RELATED TO FENTANYL.

WASHINGTON HAS TAKEN NOTICE.

THIS YEAR A CHAPITOS LEADER WAS CAPTURED BY MEXICAN SECURITY FORCES AND EXTRADITED TO THE U-S.

AND IN OCTOBER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED A SERIES OF INDICTMENTS AGAINST EIGHT CHINESE COMPANIES BLAMED FOR IMPORTING THE CHEMICALS USED TO MAKE THE DEADLY DRUG.

Merrick Garland, U.S. Attorney General

“And we know that this global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies in China.”

TO DATE – CUSTOMS AND BORDER PATROL HAS SEIZED MORE THAN 25-THOUSAND POUNDS OF FENTANYL FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 20-23. TEN THOUSAND POUNDS MORE THAN LAST YEAR.