DEA says one Mexican cartel is dominant in Minnesota as agency cracks down

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Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán may have never been to Minnesota, but the D.E.A. says the cartel he used to run is very active here. (Image: Original photo of Guzmán by Getty Images, Photoshop by FOX 9 Creative Services)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Federal investigators say they are ramping up enforcement efforts targeting two powerful international drug cartels responsible for supplying the vast majority of fentanyl and methamphetamine purchased by Minnesotans.

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) "Operation Last Mile" targets the Upper Midwest operations of the two Mexico-based cartels currently locked in a deadly competition to dominate fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking: The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which is known as "CJNG" for its acronym in Spanish.

As part of the operation, DEA investigators in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota linked 26 cases to the Sinaloa and CJNG over the last year, made 87 arrests, and seized 60 firearms tied to one of the two cartels, the agency announced in a press release Monday.

While both cartels are active in the Midwest, federal investigators have identified one as being more dominant in Minnesota.

"The Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels have made a devastating impact on communities all across the nation. In Minnesota, the bulk of our DEA investigations tie back to Sinaloa," DEA Public Information Officer Emily Murray told FOX 9.

Those investigations have resulted in at least one recent conviction. On March 16, a St. Cloud woman pleaded guilty in federal court for her role in working with the Sinaloa Cartel to coordinate shipments of cocaine and fentanyl from Mexico into the U.S., according to the Department of Justice.

From 'El Chapo' to ‘Los Chapitos’

Founded in 1987, the Sinaloa Cartel rose to become one of the most powerful drug operations in the world under the leadership of Joaquín "El Chapo (shorty)" Guzmán, a drug lord who became notorious both for his brutality during the "cartel wars" and for his repeated escapes from prison in Mexico.

He was extradited to the United States in 2017 to face 17 counts, including drug trafficking, organized crime, money laundering, and murder. He was found guilty on all counts in February 2019 and is currently serving a life sentence in a federal prison in Colorado.

Investigators believe the Sinaloa Cartel is now led by Ismael Zambada García, and Guzmán’s four sons, known as the "Los Chapitos." All four were indicted by a federal grand jury in San Diego on April 18 for money laundering, large-scale drug trafficking and violent crimes.

Journalists covering the cartels have reported that the Chapitos led the Sinaloa Cartel’s expansion into fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking to the United States, including Minnesota.

A growing problem

"Drug trafficking is a violent activity that threatens our Midwestern communities on a daily basis," DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King said. "The news is full of stories detailing the number of lives lost to drug poisonings and violent acts that came as a direct result of drug trafficking. These crimes, perpetuated by the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels, are not victimless as evident by the tragic loss of life to toxic substances being pushed into our neighborhoods."

The agency says that fentanyl seizures in both pill and powder form have increased exponentially, while methamphetamine seizures increased 55% between 2018 and 2022.

However, while drug seizures are up, so are overdoes — according to the Minnesota Department of Health, opioid-involved overdose deaths in Minnesota increased 43% from 2020 to 2021, with increased prevalence of illicitly manufactured fentanyl driving much of the increase.