Washington (BN24) – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said Monday that more than 600 people were arrested in a series of sweeping operations targeting Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa cartel, marking one of the most significant enforcement actions in recent years against the group accused of fueling America’s deadly drug crisis.
According to the DEA, the coordinated operations took place between Aug. 25 and Aug. 29 across 23 U.S. field divisions and seven international regions. In total, 617 arrests were made, alongside the seizure of 480 kilograms of fentanyl powder, over 700,000 counterfeit pills, 2,200 kilograms of methamphetamine, 7,500 kilograms of cocaine and 16 kilograms of heroin. Agents also confiscated 420 firearms and roughly $12.8 million in cash and assets, the agency said.
DEA administrator Terrance Cole hailed the crackdown as evidence of the agency’s “commitment to protecting the American people” and vowed that the Sinaloa cartel “will not be allowed to operate with impunity.” He added that the DEA’s strategy combined enforcement, intelligence-sharing, and international collaboration to strike at the cartel’s infrastructure.
The August operation came months after President Donald Trump designated eight Mexican cartels, including the Sinaloa cartel and its rival, Jalisco New Generation, as terrorist organizations under a February executive order. The designation, coupled with a series of bilateral agreements with Mexico, has intensified pressure on cartel networks and accelerated extraditions of high-ranking figures.
One of the cartel’s most notorious leaders, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, pleaded guilty earlier this year to U.S. federal charges of drug trafficking, firearms offenses and money laundering. Prosecutors alleged he played a founding role in the cartel’s global operations, which have been linked to the mass distribution of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine across the United States.
Last month, Mexico transferred 26 cartel figures to U.S. custody as part of a deal with Washington, including operatives tied to both the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels. U.S. officials described the move as a critical step in dismantling transnational criminal organizations.
The DEA said the Sinaloa cartel remains one of the gravest threats to U.S. public health and security, operating with tens of thousands of members and associates in more than 40 countries. Officials say the group continues to drive the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, which has fueled a nationwide surge in overdose deaths.
