THE MEXICAN DRUG CARTELS ARE MOVING INTO THE U.S.

El Chapo’s Sinaloa Cartel has established itself in Arizona and probably in other states as well. Can the Zetas be far behind?

From Borderland Beat:

SINALOA CARTEL, THE THREAT TO ARIZONA

El Universal
July 15, 2012

The Sinaloa cartel is the largest drug trafficking criminal organization that threatens more counties in Arizona that traditionally have large problems with drug trafficking. This has been the case through their continued dominance in and through the region, according to a U.S. Justice Department report.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) estimated that drug trafficking organizations that have allied with the "Sinaloa Cartel" belonging to cells of "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, and "EL Mayo" Zambada Garcia, are currently responsible for approximately 90% of all drugs crossing the border into Arizona and recently there have been a series of arrests in that state that have connections to the powerful cartel.

On Friday July 6 Arizona authorities dismantled a network that was smuggling different types of drugs from Temple, Arizona, to the rest of America, and the operation arrested 20 people, some of whom had many years working within the US for the Sinaloa cartel.

Some of those arrested were responsible for the coordination and distribution of drug shipments coming into Arizona from Mexico through hidden compartments in commercial trailers," said Ramona Sanchez, a spokeswoman for the DEA.

In contrast, she added, the organization used aircrafts to send currency of proceeds from profits of drug sales in the United States to Mexico, Central and South America, some of the property seized in raids was a Cessna 421 that was found in a hangar located south of Tucson.

In addition to the 20 people arrested and the Cessna, Arizona authorities executed search warrants in several safe houses in the cities of Phoenix, Tucson and Tempe where they confiscated about $2.4 million in US currency, three tons of marijuana, methamphetamine, 14 weapons, 10 vehicles and large amounts of cocaine.

The Sinaloa cartel uses the control of brokers on both sides of the US-Mexico border to extend their dominance in Arizona, and controls most of the illicit money and weapons that are trafficked across the border and areas of high level of drug trafficking in that state.

Throughout 2011 the Sinaloa Cartel dominated the trafficking routes of drug trafficking in Sonora in northern Mexico, and have controlled the drugs routes that are connected to the Arizona and Sonora border. "The numerous organizations that make up the Sinaloa cartel control most of the corridor that includes the Indian Reservation of Tohono O'odgam and the Nogales port of entry," she went on to say.