Fentanyl Fight: From El Chapo’s Sons to China
The fentanyl fight just got a lot more intense – and some folks aren’t having it. Oh, they’re not mad to see others take the side of law enforcement. (They’re all for more resources.) They’re not mad that some of those others hail from Sinaloa, Mexico either. (In fact, they particularly welcome more foreign resources.)
No, what’s got these folks in a lather are the identities of those who claim to have joined the fentanyl fight.
We speak of Los Chapitos, the four sons (and one confederate) of El Chapo himself.
That’s right. Blood relatives of the most notorious drug dealer in history have now vowed to ban fentanyl.
In fact, the bridges and overpasses of Sinaloa are draped with banners ordering the entire region to cease fentanyl dealing immediately.
The banners are called “narcomantas” in the trade. And each one is signed:
“Los Chapitos.”
“The sale, manufacture, transportation or any type of business involving the substance known as fentanyl is strictly prohibited in Sinaloa,” reads one example of the banners.
The U.S. Government isn’t buying it. In fact, American authorities believe Los Chapitos are the principal providers of fentanyl into the United States.
Leo Silva, a former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent who worked in Mexico, told Reuters “the banners were likely an attempt by Los Chapitos to shift the blame for fentanyl production on to others.”
“Coupled with extradition of one of the brothers, it’s a ploy to take the heat off of them,” Silva added. “I don’t see them stopping production.”
“It’s too much money to turn down or turn their back on.”
Who’s Fighting the Fentanyl Fight?
Los Chapitos’ fentanyl-fighting pose comes just as a Dream Team of top Biden Administration officials arrive in Mexico to meet with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his security secretary, Rosa Icela Rodríguez.
The team, which is being led by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, includes Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, as well as Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. And while the neighboring nations’ immigration policies are probably the most pressing matter, the rate at which fentanyl crosses the border has also got to be a huge concern.
After all, fentanyl does account for most of America’s overdose deaths. And at an annual 100,00+, that’s a lot of accounting to consider.
On Another Front
Speaking of AG Garland and fentanyl, Biden’s top cop just let it be known that his office is moving full speed ahead against other purveyors of the deadly narcotic as well. These though happen to be in China.
The United States just unsealed indictments and imposed sanctions on dozens of Chinese targets, reported Reuters’ Andrew Goudsward and Daphne Psaledakis.
“We are here today to deliver a message on behalf of the United States government,” AG Garland said. “We know who is responsible for poisoning the American people with fentanyl.”
Then came the kill:
“We know that this global fentanyl supply chain, which ends with the deaths of Americans, often starts with chemical companies in China.”
AG Garland’s announcement comes in conjunction with a U.S. Treasury Department statement identifying “a large China-based network,” and detailing the sweep of a rather extensive multi-agency action.
Treasury also let it be known that its fentanyl fight now also includes a fight against xylazine and nitazenes.
To wit:
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated 28 individuals and entities involved with the international proliferation of illicit drugs, including a China-based network responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of ton quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and MDMA precursors.
Those designated by OFAC today are also involved in the global trafficking of xylazine and “nitazenes,” which are highly potent and often mixed with illicit fentanyl or other drugs.
Fentanyl Fight: Who’s on Which Side?
Healing Properties has repeatedly written about record-breaking fentanyl arrests, both around the country and here in Florida. We’ve even wondered if fentanyl dealers should be prosecuted for murder. But this is the first time where the fentanyl fight has got to a point where El Chapo’s sons have sided with law enforcement.
Well, they’ve at least purportedly sided with law enforcement.
We’ll steer clear of that particular fentanyl fight. We know which side we’re on; let’s just keep it at that. We will however emphatically applaud the Biden Administration’s double-edged action. After all, its going to take all kinds of federal muscle if we’re ever going to win this fentanyl fight.
Yeah, we know. It’s probably way too late to actually win the fentanyl fight. But that doesn’t mean we can’t end it. And at this point, even hinting at an end would be something of a win.
If you and/or yours is fighting fentanyl or any other deadly substance, please give us a ring.
For the full story behind Los Chapitos and fentanyl, dig into Reuters ace Drazen Jorgic’s compellingly acute Special Report.
