Alleged Sinaloa Cartel fentanyl producer charged in newly unsealed US federal indictment

An alleged apical Sinaloa Cartel fentanyl shaper accused of supplying millions of deadly pills to the Chapitos was charged successful a recently unsealed U.S. indictment aft Mexican authorities arrested Ivan Valerio Sainz Salazar successful Sinaloa, national prosecutors said.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Thursday that Sainz Salazar, besides known arsenic "Mantecas," is charged with fentanyl trafficking and weapons offenses tied to an alleged conspiracy to manufacture the cause for the Sinaloa Cartel and smuggle it into the U.S.

Mexican authorities arrested Sainz Salazar and respective alleged associates successful Badiraguato, Sinaloa, connected Jan. 19, 2026, according to Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Civilian Protection, Omar H. Garcia Harfuch.

"In an cognition carried retired by the National Guard, the Mexican Army and Air Force, authorities detained Iván Valerio ‘N,’ alias ‘Mantecas,’ person of a faction linked to the Beltrán Leyva organization," Garcia Harfuch wrote connected X. "He was arrested on with 7 members of his group, arsenic good arsenic firearms, vehicles and a synthetic cause accumulation center. The probe is ongoing."

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According to the indictment, national prosecutors assertion the Sinaloa Cartel remains 1 of the superior drivers of fentanyl flowing into the U.S., fueling grounds overdose deaths nationwide. The synthetic opioid is acold much potent than heroin and has devastated communities crossed the country.

Investigators allege the cartel faction known arsenic the Chapitos – led by the sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán – oversaw overmuch of that operation, relying connected equipped enforcers to support cause labs, trafficking routes and leadership, often utilizing military-grade weapons.

Prosecutors assertion Sainz Salazar served arsenic a cardinal fentanyl shaper for the Chapitos from astir 2022 done 2025, helping manufacture millions of pills, arranging cause transactions nether equipped extortion and operating labs that aboriginal became cardinal to the group’s fentanyl production.

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Federal prosecutors charged an alleged apical Sinaloa Cartel fentanyl shaper accused of supplying the Chapitos aft his apprehension successful Mexico. (Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Civilian Protection)

Sainz Salazar, a 40-year-old Mexican citizen, has been charged with conspiring to import fentanyl into the U.S. and conspiring to administer it domestically – counts that each transportation a mandatory minimum condemnation of 10 years successful situation and a maximum of life.

He is besides charged with utilizing and possessing instrumentality guns and destructive devices successful transportation with the alleged cause conspiracy. One weapons number carries a mandatory minimum condemnation of 30 years and a maximum of life, portion different related conspiracy complaint besides carries a maximum condemnation of life.

"As alleged, Sainz Salazar served arsenic a large shaper of the Sinaloa Cartel’s fentanyl shipments bound for the United States," U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said.  "Fentanyl kills, and convulsive dealers successful fentanyl indispensable beryllium taken disconnected our streets.  Today’s charges people a large shaper down the Chapitos’ proviso concatenation and underscore the committedness of the women and men of our Office to holding traffickers astatine each levels of the accumulation and organisation concatenation accountable."

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Federal prosecutors charged an alleged apical Sinaloa Cartel fentanyl shaper accused of supplying the Chapitos aft his apprehension successful Mexico. (Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Civilian Protection)

Joaquín Guzmán López, lad of cartel brag "El Chapo," pleaded blameworthy successful a Chicago national courtroom successful December to drug-trafficking and continuing transgression endeavor charges.

Guzmán López, 39, is among the alleged Chapitos, the radical of brothers who took implicit a large faction of the Sinaloa cartel aft cause kingpin El Chapo’s 2019 condemnation and beingness sentence.

Prosecutors accidental the brothers accrued the accumulation and organisation of narcotics, including fentanyl, and created a monolithic pipeline that funneled tens of thousands of kilograms of drugs into the U.S. each year, per reports.

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Guzmán López pleaded blameworthy to 2 counts of cause trafficking and continuing transgression endeavor aft acknowledging his relation successful overseeing the transporting of drugs to the U.S., mostly done underground tunnels.

Guzmán López's lawyer said the plea woody allows his lawsuit to debar an automatic beingness sentence, according to the Associated Press.

Guzmán López was arrested successful July 2024 alongside longtime cartel fig Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada aft landing connected a backstage pitchy successful Texas.

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The plea followed a akin statement reached months earlier by his brother, Ovidio Guzmán López, connected trafficking and money-laundering charges.

El Chapo himself remains successful a maximum-security U.S. situation serving beingness without parole for moving a multibillion-dollar trafficking empire. Prosecutors accidental his lad stepped into his role.