Authorities have launched a major crackdown on the Sinaloa Cartel, seizing millions of dollars worth of methamphetamine in a series of coordinated raids.
Forty-eight suspected members of a Sinaloa Cartel-linked drug-trafficking network have been charged with distributing meth, fentanyl, heroin and cocaine in a joint operation led by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California said in a statement.
The individuals were allegedly part of a drug-trafficking organization operating out of the Imperial Valley and Mexicali, Mexico, with connections to “Los Rusos,” the primary armed faction of the Sinaloa Cartel loyal to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, according to court records.
The DOJ reported that over 140 federal, state and local law enforcement officers arrested 25 suspects and carried out 15 search warrants across various locations, including Imperial County in California, Yuma in Arizona and Las Vegas in Nevada. Authorities said that 23 additional suspects connected to the case are still at large.
Charges in the indictments include drug trafficking, conspiracy and bulk cash smuggling. The investigation uncovered more than 8,000 pounds of methamphetamine, along with substantial amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and a firearm.
The estimated street value of the drugs is thought to be about $72 million, based on a previous discovery of meth in Texas using Customs and Border Protection (CBP) estimates. Newsweek calculated the average price of a pound of meth and multiplied it, and contacted the DOJ to confirm the estimated value of the drugs.
The price of narcotics can vary from state to state due to multiple factors, according to the CBP.
A CBP spokesperson told Newsweek: “Street value is hard to nail down because there are so many factors, such as geography, trafficking amounts, retail vs. wholesale.”
The faction of the Sinaloa Cartel charged in this indictment is known as Los Rusos, loyal to the notorious drug lord El Mayo, who is currently detained in New York.
Jesús Alexander Sánchez Félix serves as the leader of the Los Rusos, which controls drug smuggling routes in Baja California.
El Mayo’s loyalists have been engaged in a bloody and violent cartel war against “Los Chapitos,” the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
The Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful drug-trafficking organizations, has historically controlled drug routes into the U.S.
The main reason for the cartel war between Los Chapitos and Los Rusos appears to be vying for control over drug-trafficking routes and profits, particularly from the production and distribution of illicit narcotics.
“This investigation represents another blow to traffickers of deadly drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine,” U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath said in the statement.
“With the indictment of four dozen individuals, we are not only disrupting a major drug-trafficking network, but also taking significant steps to protect our community from the devastation these drugs cause. We are committed to dismantling these dangerous operations and ensuring that those who fuel the crisis are held accountable.”
“HSI’s challenge with investigating cases tied to the Sinaloa Cartel is to not just chase those who profit from addiction, but to dismantle the transnational network responsible for plaguing our communities and tearing families apart,” Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge for HSI San Diego, said in the statement.
“The success of today’s takedown would not have been possible without the unwavering support and assistance from our law enforcement partners. By working together, we each bring a unique skillset to the fight against these trafficking organizations and can disrupt and dismantle cells like these.”
