HomeNewsBriefDid the US Help Sinaloa Cartel Win Turf War?
BRIEF

Did the US Help Sinaloa Cartel Win Turf War?

JUAREZ CARTEL / 3 JUL 2014 BY MARGUERITE CAWLEY EN

A prominent news site has released information suggesting US officials allowed informants from Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel to continue trafficking drugs during a turf war with the Juarez Cartel, but did officials really aim to help the cartel gain the upper hand in the conflict?

Based on federal court and police records, testimony and interviews, the Daily Beast reported that the actions of US agencies between 2007 and 2010 "directly served the interests of El Chapo [cartel boss Joaquin Guzman] and the Sinaloa Cartel." As evidence of this, the publication pointed to claims and indications that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials processed visas for Sinaloa Cartel informants that facilitated the movement of major drug shipments into the US, helping fund the groups' war with the Juarez Cartel.

In the case of Fernando Arambula, a high-ranking Sinaloa lieutenant who reportedly continued moving multi-ton marijuana shipments during his time as an informant, his lawyer claimed after his 2010 arrest that the US Attorney's Office had given him license to move freely across the border. 

ICE Special Agent Louie Gomez later said in court that the agency had been informed of Arambula's continued illicit activity by an unidentified government body prior to his arrest.

Another case was that of Mario Nuñez Meza, alias "M10," a Sinaloa plaza chief who worked in Chihuahua and is believed to be responsible for some 388 murders. Between 2007 and 2008 he was allowed free entry to the US to meet with ICE officials, according to a former police captain and informant.

InSight Crime Analysis

The Daily Beast's report adds to previous claims the US government has favored the Sinaloa Cartel over other Mexican groups and facilitated their activities. Jesus Vicente Zambada Niebla, the son of Sinaloa leader Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, also claimed after his 2009 arrest that the US allowed him to continue trafficking cocaine in exchange for information.

SEE ALSO: Sinaloa Cartel News and Profiles

Nonetheless, there is reason to be cautious with the analysis. US meetings with cartel informants are a common tactic used to glean information, and while unsavory, the idea these informants are given certain privileges is not particularly surprising. The provision of a free US pass for Sinaloa informants does not necessarily indicate the US aimed to give the cartel a strategic advantage in the Juarez war, as the Daily Beast suggests.

The case may speak more of how government investigations can go wrong -- like the infamous "Fast and Furious" anti-gun trafficking operation that turned into a gun-running disaster. There have also been various cases of officials allegedly turning a blind eye to criminal activity on the border, while over 2,000 US officials have been investigated this year for suspected cartel links.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

HUMAN SMUGGLING / 17 MAY 2021

A boat that capsized off California’s shores carrying some 30 people who paid more than $15,000 each to be shuttled…

GULF CARTEL / 29 JUL 2022

Mexican authorities crushed 23 "narco-tanks," while 630 armored vehicles have been confiscated since 2018.

ELITES AND CRIME / 12 MAY 2021

Time appears to be running out for the governor of the US-Mexico border state of Tamaulipas – after lawmakers stripped…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…