Chihuahua— The issuance of new rewards and upcoming extradition requests against the sons of the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will have repercussions in Chihuahua, where the criminal organization has a presence in a large part of the territory.
This was stated yesterday by the expert in criminal analysis and investigation, José Carlos Hernández Aguilar, when questioned about the recent actions taken by the US government to achieve the capture of Jesús Alfredo and Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, as well as the extradition of Ovidio Guzmán, sons of Guzmán Loera, known as “Los Chapitos”.
“The pressure announced by the DEA and other government bodies in matters of US national security, in addition to the media, constitutes a true squeeze of a political nature against the passivity and indolence of the Mexican government, which only in our country has left a cascade of at least 153,000 intentional homicides,” he said.
Hernández Aguilar stated that there is an international dichotomy in terms of prevention and prosecution of Mexican cartels, particularly regarding the investigation of the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel.
On the other hand, he highlighted the addiction to fentanyl, which he described as “an almost unstoppable bomb”, as well as the threat of other narcotics such as nitazene, not only in the neighboring country but also in Mexico, with devastating consequences for both nations, due to the high cost of health and psychiatric care required by hundreds of thousands of people.
“This is definitely a national security problem, which is obviously already having strong repercussions on public security in the state of Chihuahua,” he added.
The expert explained that, by walling off the Sinaloa Cartel due to the pressure exerted against it, the transfer of fentanyl and other drugs to the US will also be affected and will have to be distributed in large quantities in Mexico and particularly in the northern states. that already begin with an exponential spiral consumption.
As an example, between January and March this year, the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) seized 139,937 fentanyl pills, the majority in Ciudad Juárez. In addition, in 2023, deaths from this substance and people who require treatment for addiction to it have already been confirmed.
He mentioned that the current profits of the cartels for the production and transfer of drugs represent 90 percent, while the other 10 percent is a loss due to arrests, destruction of laboratories by the authorities or because it is given away to new members or addicted people.
“With the sale of fentanyl, the profits will be approximately 250 percent, due to its ease and speed in its production. In addition, it is 90 times more addictive than other hard drugs and easily placed on the addict market, ”he said.
He warned that, with these data, and if the situation is not controlled, by the end of 2023, 43 percent of addictions in both nations will be to fentanyl and more, because said illicit product will have to be distributed faster and cheaper in Mexico.
Hence, there would be a very serious problem in the very short term for Chihuahua, Mexico and also for the United States, considered José Carlos Hernández Aguilar.
He added that in the same way, if the sons of the criminal leader were captured, there would be a rearrangement of the criminal groups and this, based on experience, generates more violence and social insecurity.
In the Chihuahuan territory there are various groups that work for the cartel founded by El Chapo, some of which dispute among themselves for control of the plazas.
In Parral, Santa Bárbara, Balleza, Guadalupe y Calvo, Matamoros, Allende, Coronado, López, San Francisco del Oro, Huejotitán, El Tule and Valle de Zaragoza, there is a presence of “Los Salguiero”, whose founder is Noel Salgueiro Nevárez, alias ” El Flaco”, already captured, and now led by Ruperto, José and Heriberto Salgueiro.
The Chínipas plaza is controlled by the “Los Salazares” group, whose influence extends to other municipalities such as Guazapares and Urique, as well as areas of Sonora. It was made up of Adán Salazar Zamorano, alias “Don Adán”, but after being arrested, command was taken over by his brother Crispín, alias “Tío Pin” and his son Alfredo Salazar Ramírez who, although he is also in prison , continues to have influence in the group.
In Guachochi there is also a strong control of the Sinaloa Cartel, in the hands of Melquiades DM, alias “El Chapo Calín”, or “El 13”, who had fights with other members of the same group such as the head of the Batopilas plaza, Servando MO, alias “El 21” or “El Servandito” and with Reyes CG, alias “El Reyes” arrested in March of this year.
The “Gente Nueva del Tigre” maintains control of criminal activities in Cuauhtémoc and neighboring municipalities in the western part of the state. It emerged in 2015 under the command of the late César Raúl Gamboa Sosa, alias “El Cabo”. Currently it is his brother, Édgar Alfredo, alias “El 11” or “El Tigre Blanco”, who commands this group.
In the west, in the municipality of Madera, there is a presence of “Los Jaguares” led by Francisco AM, alias “El Jaguar, arrested in November 2021. In the mountain region, in Bocoyna, Eddy ZI has also been identified, aka “The Sapphire”.
In the capital, the Sinaloa Cartel has an important structure that controls a large part of the sale of glass, which is headed by Salvador Humberto SVM, alias “El Verín” or “El señor de la V”; while in the area surrounding Aquiles Serdán, Luis Carlos VR, alias “El Topo”, operates.
