Four armed suspects apprehended, and a hundred slot machines seized following raids in Culiacán, Sinaloa.
Breaking Down the Weekend's Busts: Arrests, Seizures, and the Sinaloa Cartel
Staying Ahead of the Game: Here's the lowdown on the latest moves against the Sinaloa Cartel:
On the Radar
- Slot Machine Seizure: Over the weekend, a total of 121 slot machines were seized by state authorities from June 6 to 8. The operation was spurred by a report of armed individuals removing furniture from a residence in the Lomas de San Isidro neighborhood.
- Drug Bust: Upon arriving at the scene, police found four individuals who, upon spotting the officers, threw a bag of marijuana and fled, abandoning a truck loaded with 59 slot machines. The residence also contained an additional 62 machines.
- Arrests Galore: In the Nueva Galaxя neighborhood, a man traveling on an Italika motorcycle with a short firearm was apprehended. Additionally, three individuals in a stolen white car showed evasive behavior when they noticed uniformed officers, leading to their arrests in the Rosario Uzarraga neighborhood. Two long firearms and one short firearm were found in the vehicle.
Kingpins on the Run
As the hunt continues for key Sinaloa Cartel figures, here are some high-profile cases:
- The Inzunza Family: Pedro Inzunza Noriega and Pedro Inzunza Coronel, a father and son duo, serve as key leaders of the Beltran Leyva Organization, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. They were charged with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and money laundering in an indictment unsealed in May 2025.
- Ovidio Guzman Lopez: Arrested in January 2023 and extradited to the U.S. in September 2023, he is a prominent figure in Los Chapitos, a subgroup of the Sinaloa Cartel.
- Joaquin Guzman-Lopez: Arrested in July 2024 near El Paso, Texas. His father's former partner, El Mayo, was also taken into custody. Reports suggest El Mayo was set up by Los Chapitos in a power struggle.
Ongoing Operations
- Los Chapitos: Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar and Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, both high-ranking members of Los Chapitos, remain at large. The U.S. has issued an arrest warrant for Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, and the DEA is seeking tips to locate these individuals.
Global Reach
- The Sinaloa Cartel's far-reaching operations were highlighted by the seizure of 50,000 kilograms of meth precursor chemicals destined for the cartel in June 2025. Investigations reveal these chemicals originated in China. Additionally, in June 2024, French authorities seized 216 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine during an operation targeting a network with ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, resulting in 16 arrests.
Uniting Against the Cartel
The fight against the Sinaloa Cartel's activities is being bolstered by international cooperation, including initiatives by U.S. agencies like ICE and the DEA, as well as European law enforcement forces such as Europol. Stay tuned for more updates as these investigations unfold!
Expanding the Spectrum: On the one hand, law enforcement agencies continue their relentless pursuit of the Sinaloa Cartel, seizing slot machines en masse and apprehending criminals involved in casino-games-related activities – a notable incident occurred in the Lomas de San Isidro neighborhood where 121 slot machines were seized over the weekend. On the other hand, the war against the Cartel also extends to general-news matters such as the arrest of a fugitive linked to the Sinaloa Cartel in France, and a significant drug seizure that uncovered 216 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine with ties to the Cartel. Meanwhile, theму struggle for power within the Cartel jeopardizes efforts towards its dismantling, as evidenced by the ongoing searches for key players like Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar and Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar – high-ranking members of the Los Chapitos subgroup – who are wanted for their involvement in crime-and-justice matters.
