Mexican cartels have wiped out competition in the US fentanyl market, DEA says

(NewsNation) Two powerful Mexican drug cartels not only exploit the market for fentanyl and other illicit drugs in all 50 U.S. states, but have also managed to eliminate their competition in drug trafficking using violence and other means , according to a report released by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. .

The Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, according to the federal report. Federal officials have reported that 200 deaths in the United States are linked to fentanyl every day, and 38,000 deaths linked to the drug were reported in the first six months of 2023 alone.

But the two transnational criminal organizations have not only infiltrated states along the southern border of the United States with drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine, but have also taken control of most of the distribution of dangerous substances to local drug dealers and gangs in states like Florida, Illinois and New York manufacturing drugs. their product by the ton.

Perhaps more worrying is that the powerful cartels have gained a foothold in unexpected places like Mississippi, Montana and Wyoming, expanding the footprint of both criminal organizations while taking over the way the fentanyl and other drugs are distributed.

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Both organizations rely on large drug wholesalers and established trafficking routes to penetrate major U.S. cities. They also use smaller branches of the cartels to work with local drug trafficking groups and gangs as well as social media channels like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to get drugs into the hands of users on the streets and in schools, the DEA report said.

“The cartels are here in the United States, and not only are they here, they're comfortable,” Robert Almonte, a former U.S. marshal and former El Paso Police Department narcotics detective, told NewsNation. adding that he believes the fight against cartels will only get worse for U.S. officials.

He added: “They are feeding America's appetite for these drugs. »

The US Sinaloa Cartels Operation

The Sinaloa Cartel is considered the pioneer of the deadliest drug threat in U.S. history, reaping billions in profits from the fentanyl trade alone, according to the DEA report. It dominates the fentanyl market through its manipulation of the global supply chain.

The organization, one of the oldest of its kind, has produced fentanyl in bulk since 2012 and capitalizes on the cheap production and maintenance costs of synthetic drug operations compared to more expensive plant drugs like heroin. and cocaine.

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The DEA report says the cartel has a long history of evasion, defiance and bribery to circumvent regulations on the importation of precursor chemicals needed to produce synthetic drugs. The cartel uses border tunnels in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas to smuggle drugs into the United States undetected, taking advantage of pre-existing sewer and water systems built by municipalities where drugs are sold.

Worse, Almonte said, the open U.S. border allows dangerous criminal drug traffickers and gang members to enter the country and further facilitate cartel operations.

How the Jalisco Cartel Works

The Jalisco cartel relies on vast financial resources as well as violence, corruption by corrupt officials and port agents, and a command structure based on openness to operate, the DEA said.

The organization delivers fentanyl in pill and powder form, and although it cannot keep up with Sinaloa's production rate, it has flooded the U.S. market by mixing its product with heroin, cocaine and xylazine, also known as “tranq”.

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The cartel is the primary supplier of cocaine to the United States, primarily on the East Coast, the DEA report said. But the organization also traffics heavily in marijuana and heroin and uses some of its billions of dollars in profits to expand its global presence. It operates distribution centers in Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina.

It generally relies on illegal ports of entry along the southwest border of the United States and transports its products primarily by tractor-trailers and private vehicles.

The criminal organization controls very little territory along the border, DEA officials said, but instead pays for the use of ports of entry, tunnels and other smuggling channels to access the U.S. market.

How the DEA cracks down

DEA enforcement initiatives track drug distribution networks across the United States that are linked to both cartels. The agency also operates three counterthreat teams to combat the drug crisis, as well as law enforcement programs like Operation Overdrive and Operation OD Justice, which investigate fatal drug overdoses .

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The report states that the DEA's Operation Last Mile partnered with federal, state and local law enforcement to make 3,337 arrests and seize nearly 44 million fentanyl pills and more than 6,500 pounds of fentanyl powder between May 2022 and May 2023. Pounds of methamphetamine were seized, along with nearly 8,500 firearms and more than $100 million, according to the report.

The DEA also works on a more local level to help provide more treatment and public awareness initiatives that warn of the dangers of synthetic drugs.

Almonte said officials at all levels are overwhelmed by the fentanyl crisis and that increased federal funding is paramount to combating the problem and for other agencies like the National Guard, which has programs to handle the fight national campaign against illicit drugs.

But, Almonte said, Mexican cartels are here to stay.

“(Officials) need to keep the pressure on these Mexican cartels, stay on their heels and not let them catch their breath,” he told NewsNation. “You're not going to eliminate Mexican cartel activity, but the idea is to make them less comfortable. You want to send the message that (law enforcement) is going to make it as difficult as possible for their communities to function. And I think that's going to make all the difference in the world.

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