Mexico’s long, bloody war on violent drug cartels has had the unintended consequence of boosting the fortunes of a sophisticated criminal organization headed by one of the world’s most notorious criminals, federal anti-drug agents and officials said. Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman, head of the Sinaloa Cartel and one of the richest and most powerful criminals in the world, continues to elude both Mexican and U.S. law enforcement.
Chapo, who was No. 55 on Forbes magazine’s 2011 list of billionaires, has seen his net worth grow as Mexican President Felipe Calderon has openly warred with drug cartels since 2006 in a conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 46,000 police, soldiers and civilians. Calderon targeted cartels that had engaged in wanton violence as they tried to supplant Guzman’s operation.
“The Sinaloa Cartel has unfortunately benefited from Mexico’s decision to focus on breaking up the most violent cartels first,” said a U.S. official who asked not to be named. “Mexico’s success against [Los] Zetas has at least temporarily improved the Sinaloa Cartel’s position as they move in to take over territory.”
For nearly two decades Guzman, whose nickname “Chapo” means “Shorty,” has been vying for control of transit routes along the U.S. southern border to move narcotics, contraband and people into the United States, federal law enforcement officials said.
His drug cartel is considered one of the best organized criminal syndicates in the world, with tentacles reaching far inside the United States, Central America, Africa and Europe. He has amassed an army of foot soldiers and hired killers, and he uses his fortune to buy corrupt judges, prosecutors, cops and military officials.
“Chapo is what we would consider a high priority target,” said Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Jeffrey Scott, a special agent who worked on operations targeting drug cartels along the Arizona border.
Scott said Mexico’s stepped-up drug war against the cartels causes a shuffling of the deck in which one cartel “unfortunately may benefit from government intervention, but only for a short period of time.”
Mexican and U.S. law enforcement agencies have increased cooperation and joint operations to combat cartels over the past four years, he said, adding that Mexico has extradited more than 400 wanted drug dealers to the U.S. since 2007.
Los Zetas, a paramilitary force started by deserters from Mexico’s Special Forces military unit, has increased its presence in Chapo’s territory over the past year, leading to bloody skirmishes in Mexican cities along the U.S. border. The gruesome nature of the fighting was highlighted last week by the discovery of five severed heads in Durango, Mexico.
The narcotics smuggled across the border are destructive enough, but American officials are concerned that the cartels are open to helping terrorist groups smuggle people and weapons into the United States.
A senior official told The Washington Examiner that U.S. intelligence agencies are seeing more contacts between the drug cartels and terrorist groups.
“One very public example is Iran’s Quds force, which has been attempting to exploit the drug networks in Mexico. It is no secret that other terrorist organizations have expressed interest to use the cartels and border to move people and weapons into the United States,” the official said.
In October, the Justice Department announced the arrest of U.S.-based dual Iranian-American citizen Manssor Arbabsiar in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States. Arbabsiar admitted to undercover agents that he had received direction and funding from senior Iranian Quds Force officials to hire members of Los Zetas to carry out the killing, officials said.
“It was a new development that the [Iranians] wanted to reach out to cartels for facilitation, so the potential nexus between terrorism and narcotics so close to home is a concern to keep an eye on,” a U.S. official said.
One way to disrupt all the cross-border threats is to get Guzman. “His guiding hand is very important to holding the Sinaloa Cartel together,” said a federal anti-narcotics official. “He would be very hard to replace, because whoever comes after him won’t have the same level of respect.”
Scott, who spent more than 15 years along the U.S.-Mexico border, said the U.S. has a national interest in dismantling the cartels. And Mexico, under the direction of Calderon, does too. The Calderon government realized it was in danger of being eclipsed by the cartels. Left unchecked, “these cartels become an entity unto themselves that traditional law enforcement and governments have difficulty handling,” he said.
Sara A. Carter is The Washington Examiner’s national security correspondent. She can be reached at [email protected].
