Narco News Weekly 12/26/2023

I hope this message finds you in good spirits. As we gather with our loved ones during this festive season, I want to extend my warmest wishes to each of you. May you have had a Merry Christmas and a wonderful time celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Let's carry the joy and peace of this season into our work and lives.

Keith Graves

In this Edition:

1. Mexico's "Imaginary War on Drugs" Amid US Pressure on Fentanyl

2. Ecuadorian Officials Arrested in Major Narco Trafficking Investigation

3. National Guard's New Strategy in Jalisco

4. Salvatierra Massacre: 11 Killed and 12 Injured in Guanajuato Attack

5. ​​Sentencing of El Mencho's Wife

6. Salamanca Barber Shop Massacre

7. Reported Clashes in the Mountains of Badiraguato

8. Triple Homicide in Culiacán, Sinaloa

9. Sicarios Dismember Victims in Ciudad Juarez Hacienda Universidad Neighborhood

10. Arrest of Drug Trafficking Suspect Linked to Police Captain in Barranquilla, Colombia

11. Territorial Conflict Between Cartels in Salvatierra, Guanajuato

12. Recapture of "El Cumbias" in Chihuahua

13. El Flaquito Escapes Police Custody After Hospitalization

14. Judge Rejects Lenient Sentencing in San Francisco Drug Cases

    Christian Warrior Training is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

    Subscribed

Mexico's "Imaginary War on Drugs" Amid US Pressure on Fentanyl

Mexico's army, under U.S. pressure to combat fentanyl trafficking, has predominantly raided inactive drug labs, with only a small fraction being operational. Despite the Biden Administration's focus on curbing fentanyl flow from Mexico, defense ministry data shows that most of the 527 labs raided in early 2023 were inactive. This pattern extends back to 2018, raising questions about the effectiveness of Mexico's drug war efforts. The situation is complicated by allegations of collusion between the military and drug cartels, and Mexico's strategy shift under President Lopez Obrador, moving away from targeting cartel leaders to a broader, less confrontational approach.

Read the full story here.