He was the boss of Mexico’s FBI and now is on trial for taking bribes
The arrest of the son of the notorious drug lord Joaquin Guzmán in Sinaloa, Mexico, after Trump’s presidency
Mexican authorities have arrested Ovidio Guzmán, son of notorious drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, a source from the federal government of Mexico told CNN, in a dramatic operation in the northern state of Sinaloa on Thursday that led to clashes around the city of Culiacán.
On December 16, the State Department issued a press release stating that Guzmn is a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel and that he had been arrested.
Cienfuegos was arrested in Los Angeles in 2019, during the final months of Donald Trump’s presidency. But in a highly unusual move, charges against Cienfuegos were dropped and he was returned to Mexico.
Social media videos show trucks on fire and shooting, which caused the airport to be closed for most of the day. CNN has yet to make a determination on these videos.
In the aftermath of the arrest, Sinaloa Secretary of Public Security Cristbal Castaeda told the public to stay in the city because vehicles were being looted and blockades were taking place.
The secretary of education of the state said that school and administrative activities were stopped in Culiacn and that people who are in risk areas should take refuge.
The arrest occurs before the President of the US and the President of Canada visit Mexico City.
Lpez Obrador wants to show the United States that he is in charge of the armed forces and Mexico’s security situation.
“El Chapo” Guzman Loera, the Deputy Attorney General, and “The King” of the U.S. Drug War
Biden called for a “major surge” to stop the production and sale of fentanyl during his state of the union address.
The State Department offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Guzmn and his brother.
They “began investing large amounts of the cash into the purchasing of marijuana in Mexico and cocaine in Colombia. They also began purchasing large amounts of ephedrine from Argentina and arranged for the smuggling of the product into Mexico as they began to experiment with methamphetamine production,” the State Department said.
Four years ago, the conviction of Joaqun “El Chapo” Guzman Loera gave prosecutors a lot of new information to work with in order to stop the drug trade.
The secretary of Public Security in the president’s cabinet was once the head of Mexico’s FBI. He spoke at Washington think-tanks about fighting the “war on drugs” while he was there.
NPR reported that the Mexican government was fighting a war against other traffickers, and it was likely that they favored the drugs of the same name.
Former drug-traffickers in U.S. custody have testified in colorful detail about the lawman on the take, about handing over $3m in cash a meeting at a Guadalajara car-wash, and Garcia Luna’s alleged role in helping Guzman narrowly escape arrest.
On Monday, the star witness was “El Rey – The King”. A man known as “Zamboda” told the jury how he helped pack millions of dollars in cash and watched as another man, called “Crowle”, collected it from one of the lawyers of the drug gang.
Zamabada described how paying about $1.5 million dollars per month to government officials allowed his men to integrate completely into Mexican law enforcement agencies – even wearing government uniforms as they raided rival cartels or made sure to escape raids themselves.
The case against the U.S. Department of Justice: the fentanyl crisis, border security, and drug smuggling
Most of the evidence in the prosecution’s case is from convicted narcotraffickers who have won great reductions in their prison sentences in exchange for their cooperation, said defense lawyers.
This trial is taking place at a time when the two major Mexican cartels, the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation are growing in power and wealth.
Drug traffickers launched waves of gang violence in Mexico. They also fueled an explosion of drug deaths in the U.S. by trafficking illicit fentanyl.
Four years ago, the U.S. tried to prosecute a top Mexican official in the attempt to target the cartels inside Mexico.
The U.S. DOJ stated in documents filed in November 2020 that it was no longer interested in pursuing the prosecution of the accused.
“It’s a long journey.” You don’t see results in a year or three years,” says Regina LaBelle, who served as acting director in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy during the first year of the Biden administration.
“We’re not going to just throw up our hands and say it’s impossible,” she says. Asking Mexico to do more seizures is not going to happen.
As a consequence, drug policy experts say the cartels are free to operate fentanyl and methamphetamine drug labs inside Mexico with near-total impunity.
Republicans have made the Mexican cartels, the fentanyl crisis and border security into a major line of attack, arguing the Biden administration can do far more to stop traffickers.
Kevin McCarthy wrote last week that drug overdose deaths hit a new high last year with the help of Fentanyl. “Securing our southern border would save lives and address this crisis.”
Republicans responded with jeers and catcalls, but they have yet to offer a plan of their own for targeting fentanyl smugglers that experts say might significantly reduce the supply reaching American streets.
The synthetic opioid can be made far more cheaply than other drugs. It’s so powerful, it can be smuggled profitably even in tiny quantities that are nearly impossible to detect.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/14/1156093005/head-mexico-fbi-trial-cartel-bribes
“I’m afraid I can’t stop it,” Rep. Trone tells a parliamentary panel in support of the resolution of Mexican cartel and human rights violations
“My belief is there’s absolutely no way to stop it,” says Rep. Trone, who voiced skepticism about the willingness of Mexican officials to target cartels.
