WATCH: Garland announces charges against El Chapo sons and Sinaloa cartel for fentanyl trafficking
PBS NewsHourNov 25, 2022
US Charges El Chapo's Sons, Chinese Businessmen with Fentanyl Trafficking
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Image copyright: Reuters
The Facts
The US Justice Dept. (DOJ) announced Friday that it had charged dozens of defendants throughout Mexico, China, and Guatemala in connection to the Sinaloa Cartel's fentanyl trafficking operation allegedly fueled by Chinese chemical and pharmaceutical companies.
Among the defendants are the three sons of former cartel leader Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán: Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Sálazar, and Ovidio Guzmán López, who was arrested in Mexico in January.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
As China and Mexico team up to deflect blame for the US fentanyl crisis, thousands of Americans are dying every day from the poppy seeds grown south of the border and the chemicals procured in China. Despite political blame games, the lethal drug is undeniably being developed in these two countries, and those governments must work to eradicate drug trafficking from within their borders.
Establishment-critical narrative
Mexican cartels, in tandem with Chinese chemical companies, certainly deserve blame for the fentanyl pouring into the US right now. However, addiction to synthetic opioids began and continues to grow due to patients being over-prescribed opioid pills as pain medication. US doctors and pharmaceutical corporations started this mess, and that shouldn't be forgotten.
