Major Sinaloa Cartel Busts in the Past Year: A Blow to the Drug Trade

Over the past year, U.S. authorities, often in collaboration with international partners, have delivered significant blows to the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world’s most powerful drug trafficking organizations. Through a series of high-profile operations, law enforcement has seized millions of fentanyl pills, tons of other drugs, millions in cash, and dozens of firearms while arresting key cartel figures. These efforts highlight the ongoing battle against the cartel’s role in the U.S. opioid crisis, which claims approximately 75,000 lives annually due to fentanyl overdoses. Below is a look at the major busts targeting the Sinaloa Cartel from mid-2024 to May 2025.

Record-Breaking Fentanyl Seizure in Multi-State Operation

In May 2025, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced its largest-ever single seizure of fentanyl pills, arresting 16 individuals, including Sinaloa Cartel leader Heriberto Salazar Amaya, in Salem, Oregon. The multi-state operation, spanning New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah, dismantled a sophisticated drug trafficking network. Authorities confiscated 3 million fentanyl-laced pills, 400 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 80 kilograms of methamphetamine, 7.5 kilograms of cocaine, 4.5 kilograms of heroin, $5 million in cash, and 49 firearms. The Justice Department hailed the bust as a “battlefield victory” against the cartel, which was designated a foreign terrorist organization in February 2025. This operation underscored the cartel’s deep involvement in flooding U.S. communities with deadly fentanyl.

Dramatic Arrest of Cartel Co-Founder “El Mayo” Zambada

In July 2024, U.S. authorities struck a major blow with the arrest of Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López, son of the notorious “El Chapo,” in El Paso, Texas. Guzmán López allegedly lured Zambada onto a plane under the pretense of inspecting land in Mexico, only for the aircraft to land in the U.S., where federal agents were waiting. Zambada, a long-elusive figure who had evaded capture for decades, pleaded not guilty to charges including continuing criminal enterprise and money laundering. The arrest sent shockwaves through the cartel, with experts warning it could spark violent power struggles between Zambada’s faction and the Chapitos, the faction led by El Chapo’s sons.

Uncovering a Chinese Money Laundering Network

In June 2024, a four-year DEA investigation dubbed “Operation Front Runner” exposed a massive money laundering scheme tied to the Sinaloa Cartel. A 10-count indictment charged 24 Los Angeles-based associates with laundering over $50 million in drug proceeds through a Chinese underground banking network. Led by Edgar Joel Martinez-Reyes, the operation used trade-based money laundering, cryptocurrency purchases, and structured cash deposits to evade federal reporting requirements. Authorities seized $5 million in drug proceeds, 302 pounds of cocaine, 92 pounds of methamphetamine, 3,000 ecstasy pills, 44 pounds of psilocybin, and multiple firearms. The case highlighted the growing alliance between the Sinaloa Cartel and Chinese money launderers, who facilitated the transfer of drug profits back to Mexico.

Imperial Valley Takedown Targets Fentanyl Surge

Also in June 2024, a coordinated operation in California’s Imperial Valley led to 14 indictments charging 47 alleged Sinaloa Cartel-linked members with drug trafficking, firearms, and money laundering offenses. Over 400 law enforcement officers arrested 36 defendants and seized 4 kilograms of fentanyl—equivalent to 2 million potentially fatal doses—along with 324 kilograms of methamphetamine and 52 firearms. The investigation revealed a troubling drop in fentanyl pill prices, signaling an increased supply driven by the cartel’s operations. This bust underscored the cartel’s role in escalating the availability of fentanyl in the U.S.

High-Ranking Member Nabbed in North Carolina Case

In April 2025, Emmanuel Martimiano Leon-Soto, a high-ranking Sinaloa Cartel member, was arrested in Nogales, Arizona, as part of a case in the Middle District of North Carolina. He was among 38 individuals charged in November 2024 with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, with 10 also facing money laundering charges. Leon-Soto, designated a Regional Priority Target by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, represented another key capture in the effort to disrupt the cartel’s leadership.