U.S. Sanctions Violent Faction of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel

The U.S. Treasury sanctioned the Los Mayos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, including “El Ruso,” along with five individuals and 15 companies tied to operations in Baja California, citing drug production and trafficking, money laundering via bars, restaurants, and resorts, and crimes such as corruption, extortion, and migrant smuggling. The action follows a split between cartel factions after the arrests of El Chapo and El Mayo, with ongoing violence between Los Mayos and Los Chapitos that has left over 1,000 dead in Sinaloa.