(Washington) Two leaders of Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa cartel were taken into custody Thursday in Texas, the U.S. Justice Department announced, calling it “one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking networks in the world.”
“Ismael Zambada Garcia, also known as “El Mayo,” a co-founder of the cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, the son of the other co-founder, were taken into custody today in El Paso, Texas,” US Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez is the son of Mexican drug lord “El Chapo,” who co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel and is currently serving a life sentence in prison in the United States.
The two men are being prosecuted in the United States for their alleged role in the manufacture and trafficking of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opiate.
The Sinaloa cartel is accused by the United States of being largely responsible for the massive distribution of fentanyl on American soil and the violence linked to trafficking on both sides of the border.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States recorded more than 107,000 overdose deaths in 2023. Fentanyl was the cause of about 70% of them.