Sons of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera are recently indicted in a sweeping fentanyl investigation. Currently, the descendants of Mexico’s most infamous kingpin are accompanied by 28 other members of with charges filed by Chicago, New York, and Washington.
Known as the Little Chapos, sons, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, 40, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, 37, and Joaquín Guzmán Lopez, 36 are current fugitives. For the capture of the two oldest brothers, the United States is offering $10 million for any reliable leads. A lesser amount of $5 million is for any information about Jesus Alfredo.
Of the four drug lords charged — Ovidio Guzmán Lopez, age 33, a.k.a. “El Ratón” — is already in custody in Mexico.
Torture Indictment Records
Based on the charges against the men, Chicago has opened its eyes to how the Cartel wields sadistic measures within Mexico.
Responsible for moving large quantities of fentanyl through the United States, the cartel is responsible for multiple horrific instances of torture and abuse. Additionally, the business rivals that the Lopez men find a threat, are tortured and killed under their orders. In some instances, Ivans ranch located in western Mexico served as a secondary location to torture kidnapped victims.
In a form of torture, cartel members used victims to test the potency of their drugs. For example, after the drug bosses decided to dispose of a kidnapped woman, injected her with fentanyl. Instead of shooting her, the woman was subject to a severe overdose.
This trend of using victims as test subjects continued. At one point the cartel continued with the export of a batch test of fentanyl to the United States even after another tester died from its consumption.
However, as a credit to the higher charges for the two older brothers, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán-Salazar and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar have evidence of more sadistic charges.
“Once information was obtained from these captives, typically through torture, these individuals were killed — either by or at the direction of the Chapitos themselves — and the bodies disposed of throughout the area. While many of these victims were shot, others were fed dead or alive to tigers belonging to Iván Archivaldo Guzmán-Salazar and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar,” stated in the indictment.
The two men are also potentially establishing stronger cartel operations with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. As one of the most prevalent drug lords out of custody, El Mayo is allegedly to be in poor health and isolated. Supposedly giving the brothers a reason wished a stronger cartel relationship with the man.
Biden Organization and U.S. Actions
There is also evidence of the cartel shipping products through China.
With two Chinese firms sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the U.S. pressed China to correct the control of drug flow through the country. The Biden administration says it looks to its allies in the middle east to help establish a more pressing understanding of this global problem.
In the past year, it was fentanyl from Mexico that stand among the leading causes of death among Americans aged 18 to 49. But officials discovered that cartels also put insurance in social media companies to push drugs.
However, fentanyl still finds its way to unsuspecting victims. With the drugs put in ordinarily labeled counterfeit prescription bottles.
The new indictiment againts the four cartel leaders describe that the cartel wanted to, “flood the United States with fentanyl in order to supply ‘streets of junkies.”
Written by Brielle R. Buford
Sources:
The New York Times: Four Sons of El Chapo Face Sweeping Charges in Fentanyl Indictments
The Washington Post: Sons of ‘El Chapo’ hit with fentanyl charges; victims fed to tigers, U.S. alleges
NBC San Diego: El Chapo Sons Among 28 Sinaloa Cartel Members Charged by US in Fentanyl-Trafficking Probe
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Pulpolux!!!‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna UNVIE’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
