A retired Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) supervisory special agent, Brian Townsend, reveals that Mexico’s notorious Sinaloa drug cartel is deeply entrenched in both major US cities and smaller communities. Describing the cartel’s influence as pervasive, he asserts that it is “woven into our communities.”
Townsend explained that the cartel’s reach is more expansive and destructive than many realize, with a firm grip on both urban and rural areas across the US. “We have some larger locations that are well known for Sinaloa control, like Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Tucson, Dallas, Atlanta, and New York City,” he told Fox News Digital. “But they have distribution points throughout the United States, and from there, they use those hubs, and then the distribution spreads out into our communities.”
The head of the DEA previously stated that the US is facing the “most dangerous and deadly drug crisis” in its history, with fentanyl and methamphetamine flowing across the border. “The Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels are at the heart of this crisis,” Townsend noted, highlighting that 300 people per day die from drug overdoses in the US.
Cartel’s Supply Chain
Townsend, who founded Eagle 6 Training, shared that the Sinaloa Cartel works with chemical suppliers to receive materials for “pennies,” primarily from China, though other countries like India are also involved. From the ports, these materials are trucked to various locations where fentanyl is manufactured and then smuggled into the United States. “The Mexican cartel is very good at this, and by adding fentanyl to their distribution, they are making a lot of money killing Americans with it,” he said.
Comparison to Sicilian Mafia
Irina Tsukerman, a US national security lawyer and president of Scarab Rising Inc., described the Sinaloa Cartel as surpassing the peak impact of the Sicilian Mafia families. “With cities like Chicago, Denver, and even Oklahoma turning into major operation hubs, Sinaloa has a throttling national hold, a shadow state within a state waging a lethal war on the American people,” Tsukerman told Fox News Digital.
Comprehensive Control of Drug Supply Chain
Tsukerman emphasized that the Sinaloa Cartel controls every stage of the drug supply chain:
– Cocaine: Imported from South America, particularly Colombia.
– Heroin: Grown in Mexico’s Golden Triangle (Sinaloa, Durango, Chihuahua).
– Fentanyl: Manufactured in clandestine Mexican labs with chemicals from China.
Established Presence in the US
The cartel has established a hold in the US through:
– Shell companies and legitimate businesses such as restaurants, real estate, and agriculture.
– Cash smuggling across borders and hidden within vehicles and shipments.
– Cryptocurrency transactions to avoid detection.
– Trade-based laundering by over- or under-invoicing trade transactions to disguise illicit proceeds.
Organizational Structure and Decision-Making
The Sinaloa Cartel operates on a “franchise model,” unlike most vertical organizational charts. Townsend explained, “In the Sinaloa Cartel, people at the bottom of the organizational chart can make huge decisions without consulting leaders like El Chapo.”
Terrorist Organization Classification
The Trump administration plans to designate more than a half-dozen criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations. This move, executed by the State Department, follows an executive order President Trump signed on Jan. 20, calling for a crackdown on major cartels. While Townsend acknowledged the advantages of this approach, he cautioned that the US should “tread lightly,” emphasizing that the designation would provide law enforcement with additional resources and leverage in negotiations with Mexico.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the DEA and the White House for comment.
Source: NY Post
