US Sanctions Los Chapitos, Labels Cartel Terrorist Group

The U.S. Treasury Department has designated Los Chapitos, a violent faction of the Sinaloa Cartel led by the fugitive sons of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity in an effort to disrupt fentanyl trafficking. Sanctions target Los Chapitos' associates and business fronts in Mazatlán, Mexico, linked to drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, and money laundering. The United States is offering up to $10 million each for information leading to the capture of Archivaldo Iván Guzmán Salazar and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, both believed to be fugitives in Mexico. These measures are part of the Trump administration's intensified response to the fentanyl crisis, which has caused tens of thousands of U.S. overdose deaths annually. The action was coordinated with the DEA and follows violent acts attributed to the group, including the 2024 killing of a U.S. Marine veteran in Mexico. The Sinaloa Cartel itself has now been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S.