The then Secretary of Public Security, Alfonso Durazo, reported in November 2019 that one of the reasons for the United States to request the extradition of Ovidio Guzmán was the transfer of fentanyl.
“One of the reasons precisely for the US interest and the support of the extradition order is precisely the alleged link of this alleged criminal with the introduction of fentanyl into the United States,” said the official days after the failed operation.
Fentanyl overdoses have alerts in the United States. A few weeks ago, US Secretary of State Antony Blinkenwarned that the consumption of this substance is killing thousands of Americans.
“We need to step up our efforts to disrupt the illicit production of fentanyl and the trafficking of synthetic opioids. Approximately 108,000 people died last year in the United States from overdoses,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Washington, United States.
Until December 19, 2022, the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador had seized 4,089 kilograms, 7,437 vials, 18 million 406,572 fentanyl pills and dismantled 1,222 in which this substance was produced.
A few days ago, Anne Milgram, head of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), announced that one of His priorities for this year would be to defeat the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel.
“DEA’s top operational priority is to take down the two Mexican drug cartels, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, who are primarily responsible for the fentanyl that is killing Americans today,” he said.
Sinaloa, one of the main producers of fentanyl
The first organization to venture into the production of fentanyl was the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel, however, due to the demand and high profits from this substance, little by little several groups have been venturing into that market, among them, the Cartel de Sinaloa.
“Fentanyl became very profitable, all the criminal groups realized how profitable fentanyl is compared to other drugs, so they have all been migrating to this type of synthetic opioids, not only Ovidio and the Sinaloa Cartel , practically all criminal organizations in Mexico are exploiting the issue of the sale and trafficking of fentanyl. In the Los Menores Cartel, Ovidio was leading that part of the business,” explains José Andrés Sumano Rodríguez, professor at the College of the Northern Border (Colef) and Technical Secretary of the CONACYT Thematic Research Network on Addictions and Citizen Security.
To make fentanyl, only two hours are required and the production cost of a shipment is barely 5,000 dollars, but its market price is 500,000. Other substances, such as marijuana, have a processing time of five to six months, their cost is 50 dollars and their market price is 160.
