The United States government has imposed sanctions on six individuals linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, offering rewards for information leading to their arrest or conviction on federal drug charges. The list includes three sons of convicted drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, collectively known as the "Chapitos," and three members of the Salgueiro-Nevarez Organisation (SNO). All six face federal indictments for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, including methamphetamine and other banned substances, into the United States.
Who Are the Chapitos?
Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar are subjects of an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Nogales, Arizona. Together with two other brothers, they are accused of inheriting and consolidating their father's drug trafficking operations since 2008. According to the US government, the brothers coordinated the smuggling of hundreds or thousands of kilograms of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana from Mexico into the United States. The Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is offering a $10 million reward each for information leading to their arrest.
Aureliano Guzman-Loera
A third family member, Aureliano Guzman-Loera, was named in a sealed superseding federal indictment secured on December 28, 2022, by HSI Tucson and the Tucson US Attorney's Office. He faces charges of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute. HSI Tucson and the HSI Mexico City Attache Office have been supporting Mexican authorities in operations to capture him, but he remains a fugitive.
Salgueiro-Nevarez Organisation Leaders
The remaining three individuals belong to the SNO. In February 2023, HSI Tucson and the US Attorney's Office secured a superseding federal indictment targeting 14 members of the group. Heriberto Salgueiro-Nevarez has been identified as one of the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel operating in Chihuahua, Mexico. His relatives Jose Salgueiro-Nevarez and Ruperto Salgueiro-Nevarez are also named as wanted Mexican nationals. HSI and the US Attorney's Office are expected to jointly prosecute Ruperto Salgueiro-Nevarez's case.
US-Mexico Cooperation
Mexico has been battered by cartel violence since the government deployed its military against drug trafficking organisations in 2006, a conflict that has left more than 300,000 people dead. The United States and Mexico have collaborated on counter-narcotics efforts for over a decade through the Merida Initiative, under which Washington provided military equipment, technical assistance, and security training to Mexican authorities.
List of Wanted Individuals
- Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar
- Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar
- Aureliano Guzman-Loera
- Heriberto Salgueiro-Nevarez
- Jose Salgueiro-Nevarez
- Ruperto Salgueiro-Nevarez
The US routinely publishes and updates its wanted persons lists for crimes committed against American citizens and national security interests. The rewards are part of ongoing efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks and bring fugitives to justice.
