A joint cross border operation between the US and Mexican law enforcement agencies has resulted in the arrest of two dozen Mexican cartel members. The raid took place in Lukeville Arizona, right on the border with Mexico.
The Sinaloa cartel is said to be one of Mexico’s largest drug trafficking organizations. After arresting 24 of the cartel members – authorities were able to collect different types of assault weapons along with hundreds of pounds of illegal drugs.
Many different agencies were involved in the arrest such as – the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Scottsdale Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security, Arizona law enforcement officials, the US Customs and Border Protections as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
The targeted Sinaloa cartel has been the cause for the importation of millions of pounds of illegal drugs
. Including Heroin, Marijuana, Methamphetamine and Cocaine into the United States from Mexico during its existence. Not to mention, the organization is also heavily responsible for the smuggling of millions of dollars in US currency, along with weapons, into Mexico.
The Sinaloa cartel’s former leader, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, was arrested on January 8 in Mexico, after he had managed to escape from a high security jail close to seven months ago. The arrest of the members will come as another major blow to the Cartel.
But is the drug war really over?
With “El Chapo” now back behind bars, it is said that control of the Sinaloa cartel will fall into the hands of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who unlike Chapo who liked the spotlight, experts say that Zambada tends to keep a low profile and spend his money heavily on alliances with politicians and police.