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A12 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 14 February 2019
Despite El Chapo arrest, powerful Sinaloa cartel marches on

By MARIA VERZA rather than the confusion
MARK STEVENSON and bloodshed that might
MEXICO CITY (AP) — break out if he were gone.
Mexico's powerful Sinaloa "El Mayo remains king. He
cartel marches on despite has never been captured
the arrest, extradition or pursued as much" as
and now conviction in Guzman, said author Jose
New York of its notorious Reveles, who writes about
leader, Joaquin "El Chapo" the cartels.
Guzman, and the proof of The cartel is best understood
this lies is in huge, multi-drug as "more of a federation of
shipments detected on the different clans than as a
border in recent weeks. corporate-like structure,"
Those heaping bags of Hope said.
fentanyl and plastic tubs So while the capture and
of crystal meth, heroin trial of Guzman "was a
and cocaine offer no sign great moral victory for the
that the cartel has been rule of law, it did very little
weakened, lost sway over to have a negative impact
its traditional territory in on the Sinaloa cartel," Vigil
northwestern Mexico or said.
seen its international reach During Guzman's absence,
curtailed by the loss of its the cartel has continued to
notorious leader. develop a highly lucrative
"It's still a major, major force profit-center in fentanyl.
in the Mexican criminal The synthetic opioid can
underworld," Mexican be bought for $9,000 per
security analyst Alejandro kilogram in China, cut to 1
Hope said. percent purity, pressed into
The cartel still controls a fake OxyContin pills and
worldwide web of contacts In this Jan. 8, 2016 file photo, drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is made to face the media in marketed in the United
that can move Colombian Mexico City as he is escorted by Mexican soldiers following his recapture six months after escap- States for nearly pure profit.
cocaine to Cameroon and ing from a maximum security prison. According to Ray Donovan,
Mexican meth cooks to Associated Press head of the DEA's New York
Malaysia. It also controls office, Guzman was at the
seaports to get drugs an investigation at least Today the cartel is seen as Zambada has proven more forefront of the fentanyl
and precursor chemicals at the local level that firmly under the command elusive, simply by staying in threat. As far back as the
shipped in from around ties back to the Sinaloa of Zambada in partnership his rural stronghold where early 2010s, his cartel began
the globe; employs labs cartel," said Will Glaspy, with Guzman's sons Ivan, the cartel holds sway. spiking Mexican-produced
and chemists to process a U.S. Drug Enforcement Archivaldo and Alfredo, If Guzman had done like heroin with fentanyl to
them; bribes corrupt cops Administration agent in known collectively as "los Zambada "and just stayed boost its potency so it could
to ensure the drugs can be charge of the Houston Chapitos," or "the little up in the mountains, compete with heroin from
moved to the border; has division who has held posts Chapos." perhaps he would still be a other regions, Donovan
engineered multimillion- along the U.S.-Mexico Ismael Bojorquez, director free man," said Mike Vigil, said.
dollar tunnels to smuggle border from California to of the Riodoce newspaper former chief of international But the cartel is not good at
tons of marijuana and Texas. "Their distribution in the Sinaloa state operations for the DEA. mixing and measuring, and
cocaine under the frontier; network is that well capital of Culiacan, said "His obsession with women the amount of fentanyl in
and pays "mules" to ferry established in the United the Chapitos "control created his downfall." counterfeit pills can vary
shipments in cars and States." street-level drug dealing, Meanwhile, the new from 0.03 to 1.99 milligrams
trucks. So at the cartel's stronghold especially in Culiacan, and government that took per tablet — in other words,
That doesn't even count in the mountains of Sinaloa the defense operations, charge Dec. 1 in Mexico from almost none to a
the armies of hitmen and state, it's business as usual for the weapons," while "El says it is no longer in the lethal dose.
enforcers who moonlight in Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, Mayo takes care of the big business of hunting down That is probably one of the
extortion and kidnapping, who has helped run the deals." drug lords. two biggest threats to the
plus the money launderers, cartel since it was founded Guzman, whose conviction "We haven't arrested Sinaloa cartel: It's literally
front corporations and over three decades ago. Tuesday in New York capos, because that is killing its customers.
political contacts. There's He has a reputation as likely means he will spend not our main function," The other is the upstart
also a world of professionals a level-headed, old- decades behind bars in President Andres Manuel Jalisco New Generation
such as architects, jewelers style capo known more the United States, is famous Lopez Obrador said Jan. cartel, which has tried
and even musical groups, for negotiating than for for twice pulling off brazen 30. "The government's main to stage incursions into
who provide entertainment bloodshed. escapes from maximum- function is to guarantee Sinaloa territory, sparking
and launder money. "El Mayo is still considered security prisons, earning public safety, and the bloody turf battles in places
Perhaps most important, the main player at the him international notoriety strategy is no longer to carry like Tijuana. The border city
Sinaloa continues to control table," Glaspy said. perhaps rivaled only by out raids to capture capos." across from San Diego has
what's referred to as the A succession fight that the late Colombian drug He added, "Officially there become one of the world's
"last mile" in the United broke out after Guzman's kingpin Pablo Escobar. He isn't a war anymore." deadliest cities.
States, using its wholesale third detention, in 2016, is said to have a voracious Some in Mexico believe But, Bojorquez noted,
distribution network to was ultimately resolved appetite for luxury goods that authorities and Sinaloa has been largely
get drugs into the hands by the arrest of Damaso and women, marrying even U.S. officials prefer able to fight off its rival.
of local gangs and street Lopez Nunez and his son multiple times, including the continued reign of "The drugs keep flowing,"
dealers. Damaso Lopez Serrano, to an 18-year-old beauty a relatively stable, old- he said, "and the business
"All 23 of our divisions have who led a rival faction. queen in 2007. school boss like Zambada, goes on."q