Beyond The Horizon podcast

How The Sinaloa Cartel Put The Fentanyl Game On Lock (1/26/25)

0:00
29:12
15 Sekunden vorwärts
15 Sekunden vorwärts
The Sinaloa Cartel has established itself as a primary producer and distributor of illicit fentanyl in the United States. Leveraging precursor chemicals sourced from China, the cartel synthesizes fentanyl in clandestine laboratories within Mexico. These operations are often overseen by high-ranking members, including the sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, known collectively as "Los Chapitos." The cartel's extensive distribution networks facilitate the smuggling of fentanyl across the U.S.-Mexico border, contributing significantly to the opioid crisis in the United States.

The Sinaloa Cartel has been implicated in trading fentanyl for military-grade weapons with international contacts. Anastacio Soto Vega, a weapons expert for the cartel, traveled to Vienna, Austria, in December 2022 to inspect an array of military-grade weapons on behalf of the García Corrales brothers, key figures within the cartel. This visit was part of negotiations to exchange fentanyl for such weaponry. Soto Vega was later arrested in Athens, Greece, in March 2023 and faces charges in the United States related to fentanyl trafficking and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.

Further investigations have revealed that the Sinaloa Cartel has acquired European-made firearms, including Austrian Glocks, Belgian machine guns, and Italian handguns. These weapons have been used in various violent confrontations, such as the 2019 battle in Culiacán following the attempted arrest of Ovidio Guzmán, son of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. The cartel's ability to procure advanced weaponry from international sources underscores its extensive global network and the challenges authorities face in curbing its operations.


to contact me:

[email protected]

Weitere Episoden von „Beyond The Horizon“