WASHINGTON (AP) — On Monday, the US announced rewards of up to $10 million for information regarding imprisoned Mexican Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, as well as for details about other imprisoned individuals associated with the cartel.
The US Treasury has placed sanctions on Archivaldo Ivan Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, who are currently believed to be in Mexico.
Joaquin Guzman Lopez and Obigio Guzman Lopez, two of Guzman’s other sons, are currently incarcerated in the United States. In May, a federal prosecutor declared that they would seek the death penalty for Joaquin Guzman Lopez if convicted of multiple charges in Chicago. They announced they wouldn’t want it.
Sanctions have also been imposed on a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel known as “Chapitos,” which has been identified as a major supplier of fentanyl to the US, established as a regional network of associates and businesses based in Mexico.
El Chapo transported enormous quantities of cocaine and other drugs into the US for over 25 years, according to federal prosecutors. He was convicted in 2019 on multiple conspiracy charges. He was sentenced to life in prison in a US facility.
“The Treasury Department is currently executing President Trump’s directive to dismantle drug cartels and confront violent leaders like El Chapo’s ‘children,'” the Treasury Department stated.
The Mexican government has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Mexican security analyst David Saucedo remarked that financial incentives for information have become a crucial strategy for the US government in recent years, offering protection for witnesses. In significant cartel cases, payments have reportedly accounted for up to 20% of US law enforcement’s recoveries, according to Saucedo.
“People within criminal organizations turn on their leaders and become informants,” Saucedo noted. “This money and ambition are what US authorities are exploiting to dismantle narcotic organizations in Mexico.”
This is a strategy that originated under the Trump administration and has continued under Biden as authorities intensify efforts against Mexican cartels.
The Sinaloa cartel is Mexico’s longest-standing crime syndicate, tracing back to the 1970s through various forms. Recently, one of its most profitable ventures has been the production of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, contributing to tens of thousands of overdose deaths annually in the US. Foreign terrorist organizations.
–
Associated Press writer Megan Janetsky reported from Mexico City.
Source: apnews.com