Chapitos & CJNG fight for the Heroin Crown

Translated by Chuck B Almada for Borderland Beat from an El Debate article
Sunday 25, September, 2016

According to a DEA spokesperson, Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG have fought several battles in the US in a fight for territory.

United States- Despite their leader’s capture, the Sinaloa Cartel, which is now presumably under the command of Chapo’s sons, continues to be one of the major threats towards the US as the trafficking of heroin continues to increase. During an interview, DEA spokesperson, Russell K. Baer said that Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG are fighting for the crown of heroin in the US, a territory which was dominated by Colombian groups in the past.

 ”El Chapo might be in custody and perhaps even stripped from power, but his sons are very involved in the criminal activities of the cartel” says Baer

 Mexico is also being fought in the US, where CJNG has increased its wealth, influence, and ability to traffic drugs.

According to the spokesperson of the DEA, the heads of one of the factions of the Sinaloa Cartel are the two sons of El Chapo: Ivan Archivaldo Guzman AKA El Chapito, and Jesus Alfredo Guzman AKA El Afredillo (Alfredillo was kidnapped and eventually freed by CJNG last month). Despite the fight between both cartels, the group native of La Tuna, Badiraguato, Sinaloa continues being the group that has circulated the most drugs in American territory. For this same reason, the fight that these two cartels have fought in

 According to the DEA, during the last few years, Mexican cartels have now taken over the role that Colombian cartels such as Medellin and Cali used to have during decades in the past. Historically, the heroin market in the US had been divided by the Mississippi river with Mexican brown or black heroin in the west and white heroin in the east. The white heroin was first introduced from Asia and then from Colombia between 1997 and 2010 according to the latest DEA report published in June.

 Despite this, Mexican cartels have learned how to produce white heroin in the last few years and have become the most powerful suppliers of some major cities in the east coast such as Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington. This has almost caused the complete elimination of the traditional Mississippi line that separated the types of heroin. Its new power in the drug market is such that in 2014, 79% of the heroin analyzed by the DEA originated from Mexico. With the Colombian groups almost wiped off the map, Mexican criminals have found an unexpected ally in China, according to Baer.

 The DEA spokesperson said that the criminals from Mexico and China are responsible for the arrival of fentanyl to the US. Fentanyl is an extremely potent analgesic that is between 30 and 50 times stronger than heroin (fentanyl is what is suspected of causing the overdose and subsequent death of singer Prince).

“Fentanyl is being manufactured primarily in clandestine Chinese labs. We also believe that fentanyl is being manufactured in Mexico as well. We are seeing Mexican cartels working along with Chinese collaborators to introduce heroin and fentanyl to the US” said Baer.

With the intention of tackling this problem, 14 DEA agents recently traveled to Peking and other provinces in China to meet with a delegation of high ranking Chinese officials. That same Chinese delegation came to the US and met with members of the government, according to Baer. In its latest report, DEA highlighted the threat that heroin represents and that it has continued to increase since 2007 and that in 2014 alone, 10,574 Americans died as a result of an overdose involving this drug. According to authorities, more Americans die from heroin overdoses than from firearms or traffic accidents.