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Mexican Sinaloa Cartel’s Message to Members: Stop Making Fentanyl or Die

Discussion in 'Too Hot for Swamp Gas' started by mrhansduck, Oct 16, 2023.

  1. mrhansduck

    mrhansduck GC Hall of Fame

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    WSJ News Exclusive | Mexican Sinaloa Cartel’s Message to Members: Stop Making Fentanyl or Die

    CULIACÁN, Mexico—The Sinaloa cartel, the leading exporter of fentanyl to the U.S., is prohibiting the production and trafficking of the illegal opioid in its territory after coming under increasing pressure from U.S. law enforcement, cartel members say.

    The order comes from the “Chapitos,” the group led by the four sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, who transformed the Sinaloa cartel into a global empire managing the supply of narcotics, from Mexican heroin to Colombian cocaine and fentanyl made with precursors from Asia.

    The directive from the most powerful faction within the criminal group aims to evade pressure from U.S. law enforcement, operatives say, though some U.S. officials are skeptical that the ban will endure.

    The Biden administration is pushing the Mexican government to take more aggressive steps to dismantle the organization, considered by the U.S. to be the top fentanyl trafficking group. U.S. deaths from fentanyl have become an American political issue, with some Republicans, including lawmakers and others running for president, advocating to send the U.S. military into Mexico to fight criminal groups trafficking fentanyl.
     
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  2. 92gator

    92gator GC Hall of Fame

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    Not sure what to make if this, but my first rxn is to laugh.

    Cartel leaders....chiming in indignant about not producing a lethal drug...under penalty of death...

    o_O
     
  3. mrhansduck

    mrhansduck GC Hall of Fame

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    I'm skeptical they'll really clamp down, although the overdoses and increased political and legal pressure probably isn't good for business either. I wonder what percentage of their revenue comes from fentanyl versus other drugs and other illicit activities?
     
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  4. 92gator

    92gator GC Hall of Fame

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    Just felt the need to clarify my 'funny' rating (ie not mocking your post).
     
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  5. wgbgator

    wgbgator Premium Member

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    You laugh, but this will probably be more effective than the war on drugs at curbing fentanyl
     
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  6. mdgator05

    mdgator05 Premium Member

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    Reminds me a bit of an old quote from The Wire from one of the cops: "They screw (not word used) up, they get beat. We screw up, we get pensions."

    It would be interesting if they chose to re-orient from a business standpoint. As of now, fentanyl has been great for them because it is so concentrated and hard to catch on the border. I could see it though as more of a reorganization effort than anything.
     
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  7. mrhansduck

    mrhansduck GC Hall of Fame

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    What do you think decriminalization of most hard drugs (say excluding fentanyl) would due to their business model? Would the cartels still be making profits (albeit smaller margins) with drugs like Cocaine coming in from other countries or do you think decriminalization would pose a threat to the cartels' very existence? I say this as someone who thinks it makes sense to decriminalize most hard drugs. Just trying to think through how it would play out practically.
     
  8. mdgator05

    mdgator05 Premium Member

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    Depends on the detail of the decriminalization. If it is just decriminalization of small amounts, they would still largely operate as they are now. Cocaine and Heroin are harder to run like Marijuana, where it can be grown at small scales. It requires a major organization. If it is a full legalization, I'd suspect they get pushed out by the Ivy League MBA-types pretty quickly. Possibly with a pretty major payoff.
     
  9. G8trGr8t

    G8trGr8t Premium Member

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    killing your clients and getting the spotlight shined on you in the process is not good long term business
     
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  10. okeechobee

    okeechobee GC Hall of Fame

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    Depends on what you mean by “decriminalization”. Does that mean it becomes legal to sell and distribute in the U.S.? If so, that would kill the cartels. If you mean simply not penalizing individuals for purchasing controlled substances and narcotics, I’m not sure that would do much to dent the cartels. You would still have demand and need a supplier. As long as production and distribution are banned in the U.S., someone is going to fill that demand.
     
  11. l_boy

    l_boy 5500

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    https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/marijuana-hallucinogen-use-among-young-adults-reached-all-time-high-2021#:~:text=The proportion of young adults,2016 and 17% in 2011.


    The use of marijuana seems to be increasing as it becomes legal or decriminalized, which kind of makes sense. I would think you would see similar trends if other drugs were decriminalized.

    The argument for decriminalization is getting it out of the criminal Justice system and not making drug users into criminals. I don’t think there is any argument it would decrease use or make things safer.

    Legalization OTOH probably increases use but may make things safer due to domestic production and quality control. But I really have a hard time seeing these drugs become legally produced and sold in the US.

    In one sense the opioid crisis started with legalization of opioids in terms of them being overprescribed. If you legalized sales of opiates I suspect overall use and addiction would increase, but perhaps the rate of death decreases due to less use of illegal fentanyl.
     
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  12. gatorpa

    gatorpa GC Hall of Fame

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    You make accurate points.

    Legalizing death and poison to lower incarceration rates, what could go wrong?
    The more readily available the more addicts you will have.
    I always ask would yo want your kids or grandkids to just be able to go by 7-11 to pick up some smack?
    Anyone who says yeah sure is either lying or an idiot.

    I’ve seen the misery all illegal drugs cause not just for the user but for the families. 30+ years in medicine it will just get worse. Put a rehab on every corner next to the dispensary.
     
  13. channingcrowderhungry

    channingcrowderhungry Premium Member

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    Bottom of a pint glass
    It's actually a tough call. I know a girl in college who got horrifically shot and killed in a marijuana drug deal that randomly went bad. She'd still be alive in 2023 with how accessible weed is now. It gets even seedier the more hardcore the drugs you are trying to acquire are.

    I don't think having them easily accessible is good. I also don't think meeting strangers are 3am in random apartments is good either.
     
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