The Attorney General's Office of Mexico, in collaboration with the Federal Prosecutor's Office for the District of Arizona in the United States, has dismantled a transnational drug trafficking organization active along the border between the two countries, according to the Mexican agency.
In an operation carried out last week, Mexican authorities arrested two individuals in Mexico, including the leader of the organization, Jairo Heriberto 'J', and another member known as Jesús 'R'. During the operation, four vehicles, two properties, two firearms, a significant amount of fentanyl pills, and other substances were confiscated.
The Prosecutor's Office highlighted that six coordinators and operators based in the United States with alleged links to the drug trafficking organization have also been charged. Rafael 'A', Fernando 'G', Socorro 'R', Emmanuel 'S', Jostan 'V', and Rosa 'P' face drug trafficking charges as of July 24, 2024.
Emmanuel 'S' was additionally charged with possession and distribution of counterfeit pills, while Fernando 'G' and Jostan 'V' remain at large. Meanwhile, Eva 'D' was arrested on November 19, 2024, for attempting to smuggle fentanyl pills into the United States at the Mariposa port of entry in Nogales, Arizona.
The operation was carried out by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), with the DEA-Nogales leading the investigation in the United States in collaboration with several agencies. The Federal Prosecutor's Office for the District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution of the seven individuals arrested.
These events occur amid tensions provoked by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has labeled Mexican cartels as terrorists and threatened to impose a 25% tariff on Mexico for drug trafficking, especially fentanyl, and migrants.
