logo
Sanctioning The Los Chapitos Faction Of The Sinaloa Cartel And Its Mazatlan Network

Sanctioning The Los Chapitos Faction Of The Sinaloa Cartel And Its Mazatlan Network

Scoop10 hours ago

Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson
June 9, 2025
The United States is committed to disrupting the illicit manufacture and trafficking of fentanyl, a leading cause of death of people aged 18 to 49 in the United States, as well as associated violence. Today, the United States is sanctioning Los Chapitos, a powerful faction of the Mexico-based Sinaloa cartel, along with its two fugitive leaders, Archivaldo Iván Guzmán Salazar and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, who are sons of the incarcerated Sinaloa Cartel leader known as 'El Chapo.' Los Chapitos is at the forefront of trafficking fentanyl into the United States. Both Iván and Alfredo are designated as targets under the Narcotics Rewards Program with reward offers up to $10 million each for information leading to their arrests and/or convictions.
The United States is also designating a regional network of Los Chapitos associates and businesses based in Mazatlan, Mexico. This network engages in drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, and money laundering. Today's action follows the recent designation of the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
We will continue to protect our nation by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding Mexico-based cartels' violent and criminal activity. Today's action further demonstrates the Trump Administration's unwavering commitment to eliminating cartels and ensuring the safety of the American people.
The United States took today's sanctions actions pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059 and 13224, as amended.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump's southern neighbour on how to weather his worst
Trump's southern neighbour on how to weather his worst

Newsroom

time2 hours ago

  • Newsroom

Trump's southern neighbour on how to weather his worst

New Zealand may be thousands of kilometres away from the United States, but at times that distance feels like precious little insulation from Donald Trump. Spare a thought, then, for the United States' southern neighbour as it is buffeted by Trump's every decree. 'Whether it is economics, trade, border, migration, security, you name it – on every single one of the [issues where] Donald Trump has built his ethos, Mexico is right there in the middle,' international trade expert and former Mexican government official Juan Carlos Baker tells Newsroom. Among the many 'moving pieces' that the country must keep its eye on, there is Trump's notorious border wall and associated American angst about illegal immigration, as well as concern about drug trafficking from the south. Mexico has also been hit by the US President's tariff war, with Trump announcing 25 percent tariffs on almost all imports (along with those from Canada). The tariffs could be potentially devastating for the country's economy, which sends over 80 percent of its exports to the US and has millions of jobs, and hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign investment, at stake. Yet there is agreement among most in Mexico that President Claudia Sheinbaum has been more or less successful in avoiding the most damaging consequences of the Trump administration's policies. Midway through his first year back in the White House and the border hasn't collapsed; nor for that matter has Mexico's economy in the face of the Trump tariffs. 'I'm not saying that we are out of the woods: I'm just saying that if we remember the fears and the concerns that people had at the beginning of 2025, well, the consensus in Mexico is that none of those sort of apocalyptic scenarios have taken place.' So what can Mexico teach New Zealand – and the world – about how to handle Trump? Unlike some, Sheinbaum didn't rush to Washington to meet Trump, instead allowing some space for the reality of his decisions to sink in before offering up potentially unwise concessions. 'He's not rational and he doesn't take those gestures … as tokens of friendship – he sees all of those developments as people pledging to satisfy him, so we have to play the longer game.' Juan Carlos Baker says we should take Donald Trump seriously, but not literally. As Mexico's vice minister for foreign trade between 2016 and 2018, Baker had a front-row seat to Trump's first stint in the White House – a period arguably defined more by personality clashes than policy triumphs. 'He had never held any office, he had never been elected – not even to the city council, right? – and then suddenly he's president of the United States, so it took him some months to figure out what he could actually do and what he couldn't do. 'This time around, the learning curve is basically flat … he now knows the boundaries of his power.' The use of executive orders provides just one example of what he has learned. Between 2017 and 2021, Trump signed a total of 220 such orders; not even six months into his second term, he has issued 163 and counting, supporting a narrative of a leader taking decisive action. He is also taking those decisions with 'absolute disregard and contempt' for usual safeguards like Congress and the courts, and with far fewer people around who might be able to keep his worst impulses in check. 'The first time … he at least made some conscious efforts to pick people that were capable and intelligent and that helped him [land] the plane, so to speak. 'Now you see the Cabinet and the people that surround him, and it's all yes men or yes women – there's really no adults in the room.' Despite that, Baker warns against viewing Trump as some all-powerful being, and says there is value in building bridges with other powerful figures who might be able to hold him to account. Politicians like California governor Gavin Newsom have already taken the President to task for his response to unrest in Los Angeles, while the courts have also shown a willingness to rule against key policies like his tariffs, whether or not he respects them. It's also wise not to fixate too heavily on Trump's latest target, Baker says, given how quickly he can shift from topic to topic. As one diplomat friend told him, we should take the President seriously but not literally. 'He's going to talk, he's going to try to influence and win over the media cycle … [but] he will find something else to be entertained with in a few hours.' Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum appears to have avoided the worst-case scenarios for US-Mexico relations so far. Yet with three and a half years of Trump's term left, and the economic importance of the US, Mexico can't wait him out, meaning the two countries will need to sit down and agree on the path ahead. Among Mexico's likely red lines, Baker says, are any proposals that would require the country to breach its international commitments – such as withdrawing from the World Trade Organisation or its trade agreements like the CPTPP – or to artificially stunt its exports to address Trump's concern about trade deficits. Countries like Mexico and New Zealand can act as 'honest brokers', helping to rally other countries in defence of rules and institutions, and against any attempts to dismantle them. But countries must also continue discussions with the US and Trump, tempting though it may be to dismiss them as 'crazy' and focus efforts elsewhere. 'Someone has to talk to them, someone needs to really understand what's going through their mind. I'm not saying that we become an enabler of the US … but if you don't really know what is fueling their actions, how can you expect to offer alternatives?' Can Trump and his team be encouraged to see sense – or are we on the verge of catastrophe? Baker is cautiously optimistic. 'We are already six months in, and the world hasn't disappeared. We're still here, and we just need to fine-tune a couple of things and let reality sink in, and we'll be able to turn the corner, I'm sure.' Juan Carlos Baker and Sam Sachdeva are among the speakers at the NZ Institute of International Affairs' annual conference, taking place in Wellington on Tuesday 17 June

Sanctioning The Los Chapitos Faction Of The Sinaloa Cartel And Its Mazatlan Network
Sanctioning The Los Chapitos Faction Of The Sinaloa Cartel And Its Mazatlan Network

Scoop

time10 hours ago

  • Scoop

Sanctioning The Los Chapitos Faction Of The Sinaloa Cartel And Its Mazatlan Network

Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson June 9, 2025 The United States is committed to disrupting the illicit manufacture and trafficking of fentanyl, a leading cause of death of people aged 18 to 49 in the United States, as well as associated violence. Today, the United States is sanctioning Los Chapitos, a powerful faction of the Mexico-based Sinaloa cartel, along with its two fugitive leaders, Archivaldo Iván Guzmán Salazar and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, who are sons of the incarcerated Sinaloa Cartel leader known as 'El Chapo.' Los Chapitos is at the forefront of trafficking fentanyl into the United States. Both Iván and Alfredo are designated as targets under the Narcotics Rewards Program with reward offers up to $10 million each for information leading to their arrests and/or convictions. The United States is also designating a regional network of Los Chapitos associates and businesses based in Mazatlan, Mexico. This network engages in drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, and money laundering. Today's action follows the recent designation of the Sinaloa Cartel as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). We will continue to protect our nation by keeping illicit drugs off our streets and disrupting the revenue streams funding Mexico-based cartels' violent and criminal activity. Today's action further demonstrates the Trump Administration's unwavering commitment to eliminating cartels and ensuring the safety of the American people. The United States took today's sanctions actions pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059 and 13224, as amended.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store