A cell of the Sinaloa Cartel operated in four major U.S. cities. The cartel conducted a large-scale drug distribution operation throughout the western part of the country that led federal authorities to the largest fentanyl seizure to date.
Led by Heiberto “El Paisa” Salazar Amaya, an illegal alien from Mexico, the group ran one of the largest fentanyl and drug distribution networks in the country, documents from the U.S. Department of Justice revealed.
El Paisa ran his operation out of Salem, Oregon, but his group also had a presence in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Layton, Utah; Phoenix, Arizona; and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Last week, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration ran a series of raids targeting El Paisa’s network. The raids are tied to a 12-count criminal indictment alleging that since July 1, 2024, the group conspired to distribute large quantities of fentanyl — mainly in pill form.
During the raids, authorities seized more than 400 kilograms of fentanyl, close to 50 weapons, more than $4 million in cash, and various luxury vehicles.
El Paisa’s group worked heavily in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where they used various couriers to distribute a large number of fentanyl pills. Last week, authorities seized more than 110,000 fentanyl pills as part of that raid.
In a separate raid also in New Mexico, authorities seized several Glock clone handguns that had their serial numbers removed or were made in a makeshift fashion without one. Several of those guns had a switch attached to the back that allowed them to fire in a full-auto fashion, a criminal complaint in the case revealed.
“This historic drug seizure, led by the DEA, is a significant blow against the Sinaloa Cartel that removes poison from our streets and protects American citizens from the scourge of fentanyl,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi during a news conference this week.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart News Foundation. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart News Foundation’s Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
