Sinaloa’s Fentanyl Sin A Devilish Ruse?

If you believe a WSJ article that Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel seriously issued its members a cease fentanyl trafficking or die order, I have a Trump Tower in Culiacan to sell you. Intel is dubious of the sudden switcheroo. You think?

US officials cautioned that, in spite of a couple of “murder messages” supposedly sent to the Sinaloa rank & file, there is no significant indication of a change in strategy or output & likened the notorious cartel’s move to a public relations ploy. “In the aggregate it won’t mean anything” in terms of overall fentanyl production, one official said. “They think if they do this, they won’t take as much heat.” Besides, the WSJ notes, “Exports of cocaine, heroin & methamphetamine to the US will likely rise in the near future to make up for the income shortfall from the fentanyl ban,” assuming it’s real. Moreover, “the criminal group has diversified into other illicit activities such as widespread extortion.”

Meanwhile, the US pressure on Mexico to shutdown Sinaloa operations is said to be intensifying. In fact, “the … decision to wean themselves from fentanyl trafficking & production comes after a series of high-profile blows against the crime group in recent months … leader Ovidio Guzman was captured in January during a daylong gunbattle with Mexico’s security forces that killed at least 29 people, including 9 soldiers & a Mexican army colonel. In April, the US indicted the 4 Guzman brothers & two dozen of their associates. Anne Milgram, head of the DEA, said at the time that [her agency] had infiltrated the Sinaloa cartel & the Chapitos’ network, obtaining “unprecedented access to the organization’s highest levels.” We’ll see. In September, Ovidio Guzman was extradited to the US. Now, about that Trump Tower.

Davd Soul