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. MEXICO / 29 JUN 2022 BY HENRY SHULDINER EN. "We've also seen security guards, some in cars and some in big tanks going south. Based in southwestern Mexico, Guerreros Unidos (United Warriors) broke away from the BLO in 2009 and became involved in the heroin trade. 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. Sinaloa notably gained territory from both the Tijuana and Jurez cartels, solidifying its position as one of the worlds most-powerful drug syndicates. 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. 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 violence gave rise to Ciudad Juarez being named the deadliest city in the world.. To make the most of your backyard, look for durable and comfortable seating options. With U.S. assistance, the Mexican military captured or killed twenty-five of the top thirty-seven drug kingpins in Mexico. Mexico, along with China, is also a leading source of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to fifty times more potent than heroin. Possibly fearing extradition to the United States, Guzmn escaped from prison in 2001. 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]. . by Will Freeman 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. He was sentenced to 27 years in prison. During interrogation, Campos told authorities he distributes illegal narcotics for the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, according to the criminal complaint. Several other drug and weaponcharges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement, according to court records. A long-standing rival of Sinaloa, Jurez has its stronghold in the north-central state of Chihuahua, across the border from New Mexico and Texas. Culiacan Airport resumed operations on Friday. April 19, 2023 Sinaloa cartel leader arrested in connection to 1985 murder Mexico captured infamous drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was behind the 1985 killing of a Drug Enforcement Administration agent and . He was extradited to the United States the following year. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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! Aaron Martinez may be reached at 915-546-6249; aamartinez@elpasotimes.com; @AMartinezEPTon Twitter. Reputed Sinaloa drug cartel members set to go on trial Monday in El Paso, El Paso trial of reputed Sinaloa members focuses on drug cartel's operations, methods, Sinaloa cartel members, law enforcement testify in 2nd week of 'Wedding Murders' trial, Reputed drug cartel boss 'El Jaguar' wounded, arrested in Mexican army shootout, 'The worst it's ever been.' US President Joe Biden is due to visit Mexico for a North American leaders' summit next week. Mario Iglesias-Villegas, also known as the Grim Reaper, and Arturo Shows Urquidi,also known as Chous,were convicted on several drug trafficking, weaponand money laundering charges. He was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison. "There was a lot of fear, people were scared," Ms Goldbas said. 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. Powerful figures in the Guadalajara organization, the two men became leaders in the Sinaloa cartel. His trial revealed some of the brutal details of how Mexico's drug cartels operate. The Chapitos are alleged to have repeatedly and consistently obtained and transported multi-ton quantities of cocaine from and through Central and South America, including Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Peru, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Guatemala, into Mexico, stored that cocaine throughout Mexico, and transported it across the U.S.-Mexico border for further distribution throughout the United States. 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. The drugs would be smuggled into El Paso and taken to other U.S. cities, while weapons and money earned from the drugs would be smuggled back across the border, witnesses testified duringthe trial. On Wednesday, jurors in the case heard more testimony from witnesses. by James McBride In 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama designated the groups members as significant foreign narcotics traffickers and imposed financial sanctions on it under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. Dozens of politicians were killed ahead of the countrys midterm elections in 2021, with many of the deaths attributed to the cartels. 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. 2023 BBC. He also created a new national police force, or gendarmerie, of several thousand officers. 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. 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. No civilian deaths have yet been reported. The cases against the other 14 defendants arepending in federal court. All the witnesses who worked forthe cartel and the jailhouse informant eachadmitted they were hoping their testimony in the case would result in their prison sentences being reduced. Mexican authorities have been waging a deadly battle against drug cartels for more than a decade, but with limited success. CFRs Global Conflict Tracker looks at criminal violence in Mexico. By the early 21st century the cartel had operations in more than 50 countries but was particularly dominant in the United States. January 31, 2022, How Tobacco Laws Could Help Close the Racial Gap on Cancer, Interactive Sinaloa drug cartel members found guilty, including 1 for role in 'Wedding Murders' case Aaron Martinez El Paso Times 0:00 0:36 Two reputed Sinaloa drug cartel members were convicted for. 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. And, he asked him why hed lost a load of drugs. Renewing America, Backgrounder . Religion and Foreign Policy Webinars, A Conversation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, Virtual Event "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. The amount of fentanyl seized by Mexican authorities nearly quintupled between 2019 and 2020. More than seventy-nine thousand people have disappeared since 2006, primarily at the hands of criminal organizations such as the cartels, though government forces also play a role. However, after the cartel was involved in the 1985 torture and murder of a U.S. drug enforcement agent, U.S. and Mexican forces cracked down on the syndicate, and by the end of the decade it had broken into various groups, one of which was based in Sinaloa. In the past decade, the group has splintered into various factions, diluting its strength as it battles for territory with Los Zetas. February 1, 2023 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. 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And while Zambada-Imperial was certainly once a power player in the Sinaloa Cartel, seven years is an age in criminal terms. Homicides declined in the first years of Pea Nietos presidency. Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador (2018present). 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. Ukraine remains intent on wresting Crimea back from Russia, but doing so would be difficult, and the peninsula could become a bargaining chip in future diplomatic talks. Shows Urquidi was a former Chihuahua State police officer who worked for "Garduo cell leader Sergio "Comandante" Garduo Escobedo. November 4, 2022 Since 2018, his administration has launched an anticorruption drive and disrupted cartel finances; it has also proposed decriminalizing all illegal drugs and offering amnesty to low-level cartel members. CBS News Poll: How GOP primary race could be Trump v. 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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. Also, a former police officer with the Jurez police department had been on the opposite side of the Sinaloas. 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. The US announced an award of $5m for information leading to Mr Guzmn-Lpez's arrest. 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. At least 29 people lay dead, including 10 members of the military and 19 alleged cartel shooters, while 35 soldiers were wounded. 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. At the same time, the cartels smuggle vast quantities of marijuana into the United States, even though some U.S. jurisdictions have legalized it. The victims' bodies were discovered by Jurez police a few days later in the bed of an abandoned pickup, officials said. Calderns successor said he would focus more on reducing violence against civilians and businesses than on removing the leaders of cartels. Official websites use .govA .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.