Anne Milgram, Administrator at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), said that the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels in Mexico are responsible for "flooding the U.S. with deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine." Milgram shared her statement in a December 4 release from the DEA.
"We have spent the past three years disrupting the operations of the two cartels in Mexico – the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels – responsible for flooding the United States with deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine," said Anne Milgram, DEA Administrator, according to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). "Our investigations have resulted in charges against targets operating at every level of the global supply chain, from the highest levels of leadership to those responsible for laundering drug proceeds. Today, the U.S. Department of State announced the increase in its reward for the notorious leader of the Jalisco Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, better known as El Mencho."
According to Milgram, the United States Department of State announced an increase in the reward for Jalisco Cartel leader, Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, also known as El Mencho. "The government is offering up to $15 million – an increase of $5 million from the previous reward of $10 million – for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of El Mencho," she said.
The DEA has been involved in investigations over the last three years that have disrupted operations of both the Jalisco and Sinaloa cartels in Mexico and led to several arrests and convictions of many leaders, according to the release. Milgram said, "El Mencho remains one of DEA’s top fugitives as the alleged founder and current leader of the Jalisco cartel." The Jalisco cartel is responsible for violence, societal disruption, corruption in Mexico and is targeted as one of the top criminal organizations globally.
According to the Financial Times, Mexico's drug cartels, led by the Sinaloa cartel and the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG), have expanded their reach and influence, posing a threat not only to Mexico but also to the United States. The cartels primarily used drug trafficking but now operate as transnational criminal organizations, engaging in arms trafficking, money laundering, and migrant smuggling. They source chemicals for synthetic drugs like fentanyl from China and India.
Police1 reports that Mexican cartels' influence and operations have spread globally, engaging in drug trafficking, money laundering, and human trafficking. Cartel members bribe officials and infiltrate law enforcement, enabling long-term influence and control. The Sinaloa and CJNG cartels have established networks across the U.S.
Anne Milgram was sworn in as Administrator on June 28, 2021, according to the DEA website. Prior to joining DEA she served as Attorney General of New Jersey from 2007 to 2010.
