Tag: cartels

Venezuela Asks U.N. to Help Stop American Anti-Drug Efforts in Caribbean

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil on Tuesday called for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres to help “restore common sense” and stop the United States’ ongoing efforts to combat drug cartels in Caribbean international waters — which the Venezuelan narco-state deems a “threat.”

Gil met with U.N. Resident Coordinator in Venezuela Gianluca Rampolla on Tuesday. According to the regime’s main propaganda outlet, VTV, the officials “debated the threats facing Latin America and the Caribbean from the United States.”  Secretary-General Guterres has not publicly commented on Venezuela’s request at press time.

“We request the support of U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres to restore common sense. In this regard, we share our concerns about the deployment of US military units and even nuclear weapons in the Caribbean, which threatens peace,” Gil wrote on his official Telegram account.

“In the face of false narratives, used as a pretext to justify aggression against Venezuela, we confirm that the 2025 World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) has ratified Venezuela as a territory free of illicit crops. Furthermore, the efforts of the Bolivarian Government have been duly certified by the UNDOC,” he continued.

Gil’s meeting with Rampolla and his request to Guterres come days after the administration of President Donald Trump increased its efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region and curb the flow of drugs entering the United States. Reports published this month indicated that the U.S. deployed three Aegis guided-missile destroyers and reportedly “about 4,000 sailors and Marines” to Caribbean international waters to fight against local drug trafficking organizations. Subsequent reports published this week detailed that the United States deployed the USS Lake Erie guided missile cruiser and the USS Newport News, a nuclear-powered attack submarine, to reinforce the U.S.’s ongoing efforts. Both are reportedly expected to arrive in the region by early next week.

Socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro and members of his authoritarian regime have condemned the United States’ ongoing drug-fighting efforts in the Caribbean and have repeatedly insisted, without evidence, that the United States’s actions are instead part of a purported plot to “invade” Venezuela and oust Maduro from power.

Maduro is actively wanted by the United States on multiple narco-terrorism charges and stands accused of being a leading figure of the Cartel of the Suns, a U.S.-identified Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) led by top leading members of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and the Venezuelan military. Interior Minister and long-suspected drug lord Diosdado Cabello and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López also stand accused by U.S. authorities of leading the Cartel of the Suns and are wanted on multiple narco-terrorism charges. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced this month that the United States doubled its bounty on information that can lead to Maduro’s arrest from $25 million to $50 million.

In recent days, Maduro has ordered a series of “preparations” for the alleged American “invasion” and launched a campaign to enlist civilians into the Bolivarian Militia that local and international outlets widely reported as a failure. On Tuesday, Defense Minister López claimed that Venezuela would also deploy “large ships” to “combat drug trafficking” in Caribbean waters.

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Sinaloa Cartel Operator Turned Influencer Gunned Down in Mexico

A former Sinaloa Cartel operator turned social media influencer died Saturday evening after a lone gunman barged into his home and shot him multiple times. The influencer’s murder is believed to be tied to the ongoing turf war between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, which has spilled onto social media and already led to the murder of at least six influencers.

On Saturday evening, at least one gunman barged into the home of Camilo “Pollo Loco” Ochoa in the state of Morelos in Central Mexico. The gunman fired several shots, killing Ochoa instantly, El Sol de Sinaloa reported. By the time authorities responded to the scene, the gunman had fled. Investigators found Ochoa’s bullet-riddled body in his bathroom, wearing the same clothes he had worn earlier in the day during one of his livestreams.

Ochoa received various threats in the past. Earlier this year, Sinaloa Cartel gunmen had posted a photograph of Ochoa along with several other influencers who were supposed to be aligned with the Chapitos faction. At least six influencers on that list have already been killed. The murder comes at a time when the Chapitos faction has been at war for over a year with the Mayiza faction.

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Mexico, under pressure from Trump, transfers 26 more cartel members to US

Mexico sent more than two dozen suspected cartel members to the U.S. on Tuesday, amid rising pressure from President Donald Trump on Mexico to dismantle the country’s powerful drug organizations.

Authorities shipped 26 prisoners wanted in the U.S. for ties to drug-trafficking groups, Mexico’s attorney general’s office and security ministry said in a joint statement.

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Mexico said the U.S. Department of Justice had requested their extradition and that it would not seek the death penalty for the accused cartel members.

The transfer is the second of its kind this year. In February, Mexican authorities sent 29 alleged cartel leaders to the U.S., sparking a debate about the political and legal grounds for such a move.

That Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum permitted yet another large-scale extradition of Mexican nationals underscores the balancing act she faces as she seeks to appease Trump while also avoiding unilateral U.S. military action in Mexico.

In a statement, the U.S. Embassy said among those extradited were key figures in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, which are Mexico’s two dominant organized crime groups.

“This transfer is yet another example of what is possible when two governments unite against violence and impunity,” U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson said in a statement. “These fugitives will now face justice in American courts, and the citizens of both our nations will be safer.”

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Mexico rejects US forces in country

Mexico’s president said Friday that U.S. forces would not be allowed to enter her country, responding to reports that President Trump had directed the military to cross the border to fight drug cartels that have been labeled foreign terrorist groups. 

“The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military. We cooperate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion. That is ruled out, absolutely ruled out,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said to The New York Times. 

“It is not part of any agreement, far from it. When it has been brought up, we have always said no.”

The New York Times reported Trump signed the directive in secret, providing a justification for potential military operations against the criminal organizations. It also reported U.S. military officials have started drawing up plans for how the military could target cartels.

Any unilateral strikes against cartels identified as terrorist groups could also raise legal issues if individuals are killed who do not pose an imminent threat or who are not part of a conflict where Congress has authorized military action.

“President Trump’s top priority is protecting the homeland, which is why he took the bold step to designate several cartels and gangs as foreign terrorist organizations,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to The Hill.

In May, the Trump administration offered to send U.S. troops into Mexican territory to fight the cartels. This came after Trump signed an executive order Jan. 20 designating multiple gangs, such as the Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Cartel de Sinaloa, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Carteles Unidos, Cartel del Noreste, Cartel del Golfo and La Nueva Familia Michoacana as terrorist groups. 

Sheinbaum rejected the offer while affirming Mexico will collaborate with U.S. authorities in intelligence sharing. 

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Most Illegals Have Some Connection to Gangs, Cartels, or Human Traffickers

Democrat lawmakers and the mainstream media often claim that less than half of the illegal immigrants currently in detention have criminal records, with some reports stating that 74% have no prior convictions. However, a criminal conviction is not required for deportation, as 100% of these individuals have already broken the law by entering or remaining in the country illegally.

Moreover, focusing solely on convictions ignores those with pending criminal charges, known affiliations with gangs or cartels, or those who were trafficked into the country. When these groups are included, the percentage of illegal immigrants with ties to criminal activity rises to nearly 80%.

Even if Democrats insist on using criminal record as the standard for deportation, a recent ICE operation, Operation Patriot, revealed that approximately 54% of the 1,461 individuals arrested had either criminal convictions or pending charges. This rate far exceeds that of the general U.S. adult population, where roughly one-third, about 70 to 100 million people, have some form of criminal record, including arrests without convictions.

Many illegal immigrants without pending charges are still arrested by ICE because the agency specifically targets individuals with known or suspected criminal backgrounds. For example, during the first 50 days of President Trump’s administration, 75% of ICE arrests involved individuals with either criminal convictions or pending charges. In lawful, warrant-based raids on homes and workplaces, everyone present is required to show identification and proof of citizenship.

It is during these checks that many are found to be in the country illegally and often identified as having gang affiliations. According to ICE data, well over half of all illegal immigrants have some form of connection to gangs, cartels, or human traffickers.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 97% of those who entered the U.S. illegally did so via the U.S.-Mexico border, almost entirely through smuggling networks. U.S. Border Patrol officials have stated that “nobody crosses without paying the cartels,” confirming that illegal immigration is now fully monopolized by criminal organizations.

These smuggling operations are run by “coyotes” who operate directly under cartel control. As a result, nearly all illegal immigrants entering through the southern border have some level of connection to a drug cartel.

Migrants pay steep fees to cross the border, averaging $6,937 for Mexican nationals and between $7,000 and $10,000 for Central Americans. Using a conservative estimate of $6,500 per person, cartels likely earned over $13 billion from human smuggling in FY2023 alone, based on the 2.8 million illegal crossings reported that year. But smuggling is only the beginning of the exploitation many migrants face.

Research from San Diego State University found that 6% of undocumented Mexican immigrants were trafficked by smugglers during entry, while 28% were trafficked by employers after arrival, meaning more than one-third experienced trafficking either en route or once in the U.S.

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NGO Claims Mexican Cartel Tied to Mercury Trafficking

A new report from the NGO Environment Investigation Agency (EIA) claims that Mexico’s Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) is trafficking mercury to South America for its use in gold refining. The report comes just weeks after suspected CJNG gunmen stole more than 33 tons of gold concentrate from a mining company along a highway in Jalisco.

In their report Toxic Tons: Traffickers Leave No Stone Unturned, the EIA followed the trail of mercury from central Mexico to South America, where it is used in illegal mining operations. The group claims that the use of mercury for gold mining is a significant environmental polluter, as the mineral is mixed with gold and then exposed to high temperatures during the refining process.

The report highlights a recent takeover of mercury mining operations in central Mexico by alleged members of the Cartel Jalisco New Generation and urges the Mexican government to intervene. The information points to yet one more trafficking business being tied to CJNG, which has been labelled as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government earlier this year.

Since the terrorist designation went into effect, Mexico’s top security officials have been pushing a public relations strategy where they embellish raids and operations to give the appearance of fighting drug cartels. However, as Breitbart Texas has reported, drug bosses continue to operate throughout Mexico with almost complete impunity.

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Senate GOP focuses on law enforcement to stop Mexican cartels, Democrats blame U.S. gun industry

Senate Democrats and Republicans are taking a widely different view of the issue of Mexican cartels’ smuggling and gun violence and how to stop it – with Democrats appearing to continue to focus on the U.S. firearms industry while Republicans focus on investigative efforts and the dangers that cartel members pose to law enforcement and other Americans.

The largely disparate views were recently highlighted during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled “The Thin Blue Line Protecting America from the Cartels.”

“Today’s hearing focuses on the very real threat of Mexican drug cartels and the lengths law enforcement goes to defend Americans,” Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassly, the committee’s top Republican, said at the June hearing. 

“These are the folks who enforce the law at great personal cost. As of late, they’ve been pelted with rocks, assaulted with homemade explosives … . And yet, they continue to hold the line against one of the greatest national security threats to America – Mexican drug cartels.”

Among the three federal law enforcement officials to testify at the June 17 hearing was the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Matthew Allen.

“In my 22 years-plus in the DEA … . I’ve experienced several instances of cartels and criminal organizations surveilling our people, both in Mexico and the United States,” said Allen the special agent in charge of the agency’s Los Angeles Field Division. “I’ve personally lost several friends on this job – two of them, very close friends of mine. It’s a dangerous job.”

Grassley also warned about the dangers of cartel members infiltrating the United States, citing the son-in-law of Ruben Oseguera Cervantes – known as “El Mencho” and the leader of Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion, a major drug-trafficking organization in Mexico – living in Southern California under a fake name until his arrest last year. 

Prosecutors say the son-in-law, Cristian Fernando Gutierrez Ocho, faked his own death and fled to the U.S. to avoid Mexican authorities after kidnapping two members of the Mexican Navy in 2021. He is also accused of conspiring to import thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine into the U.S.

Allen said agents working on a tip arrested him in a gated community, “just down the street from the chief of police.”

Grassley also hammered away at Democrats on the committee as they appeared to zero-in on U.S. gun dealers as a major factor in cartel violence. 

“It was Democrats who threw open our southern border,” he argued. 

Illegal border crossings surged during the previous Biden administration, with at least 7.2 million migrants purportedly encountered from January 2021 to January 2024.

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Arizona Voters Will Decide on Designating Drug Cartels Terrorist Organizations

Arizona voters will decide in November on whether or not to designate drug cartels operating at the U.S. Southern border with Mexico as terrorists.

The vote will come after the Arizona state senate failed to pass a measure last year due to a slim Republican majority, per The Hill.

“Arizona is on the frontlines of a war that Washington ignored until President Trump took action. This resolution gives the Trump Administration another tool to defend our state, uphold the rule of law, and protect innocent lives,” state Rep. Steve Montenegro (R) said in a press release.

The resolution comes after the Trump administration added eight drug cartels to its list of terrorist organizations despite pushback from the Mexican government.

“Groups on the list are subject to financial sanctions, and their members cannot legally enter the United States. It is also illegal to give material support to a foreign terrorist organization,” noted The Hill.

“The Arizona ballot initiative would also direct the state Department of Homeland Security to ‘do everything within its authority to address the threat posed by drug cartels,’” it added.

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FBI Compromised by Cartel Hacker Who Gained Control of Cameras, Multiple Left Dead in Fallout

Unidentified computer hackers associated with the Sinaloa drug cartel were able to garner phone records from the FBI, then used Mexico City surveillance cameras to compromise key informants and witnesses so they could murder them back in 2018, a new report showed.

This information was disclosed to the Justice Department in an Inspector General audit of the FBI’s efforts to “Mitigate the Effects of Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance,” according to Fox News.

The report cited the case against Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who used to lead the cartel, but who was extradited to the United States back in 2017. While federal authorities were working the case, they were alerted to the hiring of a hacker “who offered a menu of services related to exploiting mobile phones and other electronic devices.”

The hacker “had observed people going in and out of the United States Embassy in Mexico City and identified ‘people of interest’ for the cartel, including the FBI Assistant Legal Attache (ALA T), and then was able to use the ALA T’s mobile phone number to obtain calls made and received, as well as geolocation data, associated with the ALAT’s phone,” the audit read.

“According to the FBI, the hacker also used Mexico City’s camera system to follow the ALAT through the city and identify people the ALAT met with,” the report continued. “According to the case agent, the cartel used that information to intimidate and, in some instances, kill potential sources or cooperating witnesses.”

The audit also highlighted how modern technology has “made it easier than ever for less-sophisticated nations and criminal enterprises to identify and exploit vulnerabilities created by” data from everyday items like smartphones and personal computers.

Some within the U.S. intel community, including CIA officials, described the threat as being “existential.”

This should send a message to the U.S. that computers have become the new battlefield. And we are still vulnerable in this area.

Even if the federal government expanded funding and continued using all the technology at its disposal, drug cartels can still gain the upper hand.

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Treasury Sanctions 3 Mexican Financial Institutions For Aiding Cartels In Fentanyl Trade; Sheinbaum Denies

Mexican President Sheinbaum has commented on the sanctions, denying any fraud and claiming the Mexican banking system is ‘sound’:

  • *SHEINBAUM: NO EVIDENCE OF MONEY LAUNDERING IN MEXICAN BANKS
  • *SHEINBAUM SAYS MEXICO ONLY FOUND ADMINISTRATIVE FLAWS IN BANKS
  • *SHEINBAUM: MEXICO ASKED US TREASURY MONEY LAUNDERING EVIDENCE
  • *SHEINBAUM: MEXICAN FINANCIAL SYSTEM SOUND, ACCUSED FIRMS SMALL
  • *MEXICO TRANSFERS TO CHINA COS ‘NOT MONEY LAUNDERING’: SHEINBAUM

Just a coincidence?

As Naveen Athrappully detailed earlier via The Epoch Times, The Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) sanctioned three financial institutions based in Mexico for allegedly laundering money for cartels involved in the illegal trade of fentanyl, the Treasury said in a June 25 statement. The institutions are CIBanco S.A., Intercam Banco S.A., and Vector Casa de Bolsa S.A. de C.V.

CIBanco and Intercam are commercial banks with assets worth more than $7 billion and $4 billion, respectively. Vector is a brokerage company managing almost $11 billion in assets.

FinCEN has determined that the entities launder money in connection with illicit opioid trafficking, and have “collectively played a longstanding and vital role in laundering millions of dollars on behalf of Mexico-based cartels and facilitating payments for the procurement of precursor chemicals needed to produce fentanyl,” the statement said.

CIBanco facilitated illicit opioid trafficking by Mexican cartels such as Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Beltran-Leyva Cartel, and Gulf Cartel. Intercam was linked to CJNG, and Vector with the Sinaloa Cartel and Gulf Cartel, said the statement.

FinCEN said that between 2021 and 2024, CIBanco processed more than $2.1 million in payments from Mexico-based companies to entities in China that shipped precursor chemicals to Mexico. Intercam processed over $1.5 million during the same period.

As for Vector, the institution processed more than $1 million between 2018 and 2023.

The sanctions prohibit financial institutions in the United States from engaging in the transmission of funds from or to CIBanco, Intercam, or Vector. The prohibition also applies to any account or convertible virtual currency address administered by the three institutions.

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