Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced a 50-count indictment following a 63-month law enforcement operation that charged 41 individuals in Texas with alleged drug trafficking and related crimes on behalf of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The announcement was made in a press release on April 1, highlighting the U.S.'s concentrated effort to combat cartel influence.
"The fentanyl threat to America constitutes a public health, public safety, and national security threat, and it's primarily fueled by Mexican drug trafficking organizations, including the prominent and deadly Jalisco cartel," said Monaco, according to U.S. Department of Justice. "The charges and arrests announced today target every element of the Jalisco cartel's trafficking network, reflecting the Justice Department's urgent and relentless battle, along with our Mexican partners, to dismantle all aspects of the illicit fentanyl supply chain."
According to the Department of Justice, 23 people have already been taken into custody. The indicted individuals operated out of Houston and Galveston areas. The charges identified Roque Zamudio-Mendoza as the leader of these groups and the primary source of drugs smuggled into the United States from Mexico. His co-conspirators reportedly distributed the narcotics throughout various locations in the United States. While Zamudio-Mendoza is believed to be still in Mexico, two of those charged have since died, and 15 remain at large.
The law enforcement operation represents the culmination of a multi-year investigation initiated in 2019. It spanned several jurisdictions, including Houston, Arlington, Corpus Christi, Brownsville and McAllen areas in Texas as well as Louisiana, Colorado, Washington and California. Those convicted could face up to life imprisonment. As part of this operation, investigators also seized nine firearms, several luxury Rolex watches and cash.
DEA Administrator Anne Milgram expressed her concerns about the threat posed by cartels in a press release: "the Jalisco Cartel’s drugs and violence threaten the health and safety of Americans everywhere." This sentiment was echoed by Southern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani and U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.
As per information from the U.S. Department of Justice, Monaco serves as the second highest-ranked official in the U.S. Attorney General’s Office in her capacity as deputy attorney general. Her career includes several roles within the department, including serving as Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor to the President from 2013 to 2017.
