Following the imprisonment of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, prosecutors have revealed in a recent indictment that his sons took over the family business and shifted their focus to fentanyl.

They established an extensive network of laboratories dedicated to producing large quantities of the inexpensive yet highly lethal drug, which they smuggled into the United States, the Associated Press reported.

While El Chapo’s trial primarily centered around cocaine shipments, the case against his sons sheds light on the inner workings of a cartel undergoing a generational transition.

Their objective was to manufacture and distribute the most potent form of fentanyl at the lowest possible price within the United States, as stated in the indictment unsealed on April 14 in Manhattan.

The alarming rise in synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, has resulted in more annual deaths in the United States than the combined casualties of the Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan wars.

This devastating impact has sparked debates among politicians, with some advocating for the designation of cartels as terrorist organizations.

Furthermore, it has led to unprecedented calls for U.S. military intervention along the border—a concept that was previously unimaginable, as reported by the AP.

The situation has intensified concerns regarding the influence and power of these criminal organizations and their role in exacerbating the opioid crisis gripping the nation.

Written by staff