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By: The opinion Posted Jul 13, 2023, 14:13 pm EDT
In the fight against fentanyl, a drug that has caused a serious health problem and thousands of deaths, the United States has launched a crusade against the Mexican cartels whom it points out as being responsible for trafficking the synthetic opioid.
In this vein, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Christopher Wrayrevealed that at this moment there are at least 300 criminal investigations open against heads of drug cartels.
In an appearance before the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives, Wray maintained that one of the priorities in the daily work of the FBI is the fight against “the cartels that are exploiting our southwestern border to traffic fentanyl and other dangerous drugs to our communities across the country,” reported the newspaper Milenio.
“The FBI is currently conducting 300 investigations against the leaders of these cartels and working with our partners. We have seized hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl this year alone, preventing the drugs from reaching their destination and saving countless American lives,” he told lawmakers.
It should be noted that of the 750 Task Forces that the FBI maintains nationwide against all types of crime, 40% correspond to investigations against cartel leaders. Although Wray did not specify the names of criminal organizations, months ago the administrator of the DEA, Ann Milgram, said that the priority objectives are the Sinaloa cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
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Previously, in April of this year, Wray also appeared before the House of Representatives, on that occasion he said that there were 380 open investigations against the Mexican cartels, which had already begun to bear fruit, such as the charges filed against thirty people. linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, including the little boysthat is, the four sons of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmanfor trafficking fentanyl and other drugs.
On that occasion, Wray also said that the FBI is actively involved in six strike forces, made up of multi-agency teams led by prosecutors and conducting multi-jurisdictional operations against priority targets and their affiliated financial networks.
Keep reading:
– The day the FBI rescued in San Diego two men kidnapped for money debts to the Sinaloa Cartel.
– Texas claims there are at least six Mexican cartels operating in the state.