Police Release Shocking Figures El Chapo Guzman’s Organization Laundered Through Arrested Associate

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was in the last decade among the most sought after criminals in the world. Born in La Tuna, Sinaloa, Mexico in the 1950s, he has been one of Mexico’s biggest drug dealers for decades. Presently, the Mexican and American governments are working hard to dismantle the Sinaloa cartel, which is headed by both El Chapo and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, and have been making great strides since last year.

Although a significant number of the cartel’s operatives have been arrested this year, some pretty prominent figures have been captured in the past two years. Among the most notable is José Rodrigo Aréchiga Gamboa also known as “El Chino Ántrax”, an alleged top enforcer for the Sinaloa cartel. He had in the period prior to his arrest flooded social media with pictures of women, money, guns, and fast cars to boast about his extravagant lifestyle.

According to the Daily Mail, he was one of the leaders of a gang of hitmen who had branded themselves “Ánthrax.” His lifestyle was so lavish that his name was included in several narcocorridos, and so daring that at one time, he photobombed Paris Hilton. Below is the image.

Gamboa was arrested in Amsterdam after having flown with a fake passport. The following is the report according to the Daily Mail.

“A lethal enforcer for Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel pleaded guilty Wednesday to drug charges in a wide investigation of the group in the United States. Jose Rodrigo Arechiga Gamboa, known as ‘Chino Antrax,’ acknowledged that he helped bring tons of cocaine and marijuana to the country from Mexico and ordered and participated in violence against cartel rivals. He said in a plea agreement with prosecutors that he was a high-ranking member ‘responsible for a number of aspects of the cartel’s operations. Arechiga Gamboa, 34, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison when he is sentenced on October 16 for conspiracy to import a controlled substance.”

Just a few days ago, Juan Manuel Alvarez, who is suspected to be the head of money laundering for El Chapo Guzman’s Sinaloa cartel, was arrested. Also known as El Rey Midas or King Midas, he is said to have laundered about $4 billion for El Chapo’s drug trafficking organization in the past ten years through his currency exchange businesses and companies. Apparently, he launders between $300 and $400 million each year for the Sinaloa cartel. His money laundering network is said to span the United States, Panama, Colombia, and Mexico.

Alleged to be particularly active within the Sinaloa and Jalisco regions in Mexico, he was arrested while spending his Easter Holiday in Oaxaca. This is as reported by Yahoo. He was detained following a provisional order requested by the American government, pending extradition.

Juan Manuel’s arrest comes just after El Chapo’s recapture in January this year, and it is suspected that he may be spilling the beans on his organization in order to win the favor of Mexican and American authorities. In January, following his arrest, 24 members of his cartel were apprehended in a string operation launched in both America and Mexico. Dubbed operation Mexican Operation Diablo Express, it netted caches of assault rifles and hundreds of pounds of drugs. The following is a statement released by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in regards to this.

“The operation targets criminal elements and organizations operating in and around Sonoyta, Mexico… Due to the sensitive nature, this operation was conducted with utmost secrecy to maintain the element of surprise and to ensure the safety of the Mexican law enforcement officers executing it… The targeted Sinaloa cell has been responsible for the importation of millions of pounds of illegal drugs, including marijuana, heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, into the United States from Mexico”

This is as reported by CNN.

[AP Photo/Marco Ugarte]