The transfer of Mexican prisoners to the United States during the current presidential term has had an uneven impact on criminal organizations, but none has felt the effects of bilateral cooperation as much as the Sinaloa Cartel.
The criminal group accounts for 24 of the 92 members transferred, a figure that demonstrates the depth of the judicial offensive against the organization that for decades has dominated drug trafficking to the United States.
This blow is explained by the internal structure of the organization, which was directly identified by the US government, under the Joe Biden administration, as the main trafficker of fentanyl to that country, especially its armed wing led by Los Chapitos, the sons of Joaquín Guzmán Loera, El Chapo.
According to a review of criminals deported to U.S. prisons, nine of them belonged to the Sinaloa Cartel before the split between Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán; while seven others were aligned with the Los Mayos faction and eight more with Los Chapitos, which suggests that the impact of these deportations is a single criminal bloc, despite its internal divisions.
Among the most prominent cases is that of José Ángel Canobbio Inzunza, “El Güerito,” identified as an armed operative for Los Chapitos, responsible for the security of routes, safe houses, and hitmen in Culiacán.
Also noteworthy is Inés Enrique Torres Acosta, “El Kiki Torres,” head of security for El Mayo Zambada’s inner circle, a key figure in protecting historical leaders and safeguarding shipments destined for the United States.
Hernán Domingo Ojeda López, alias “El Mero Mero,” has been added to that list. The security cabinet identified him as Ovidio Guzmán’s uncle and responsible for trafficking fentanyl from Sinaloa into the United States, as well as a major instigator of violence in the mountains.
His capture and subsequent transfer illustrate Washington’s emphasis on pursuing those who fuel the synthetic opioid crisis.
