"The United States is tightening its grip on the Sinaloa Cartel, particularly targeting followers of Ismael El Mayo Zambada. On Tuesday, the State Department offered a $5 million reward for Juan Jose El Ruso Ponce Felix, a cartel leader based in Culiacan. Authorities accuse him of drug trafficking primarily cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin as well as arms trafficking and bribing government, police, and military officials with $1 million per month to maintain operations in Sinaloa, according to a statement."
"Ponce Felix began working for Zambada in 2012, according to the DEA. At the time, he was responsible for leading a fleet of cartel soldiers in Culiacan who carried out kidnappings, took hostages, and committed torture and murder for the cartel's benefit at a ranch owned by El Ruso in the Sinaloa capital. Over time, Ponce Felix formed a group known as Los Rusos, the armed wing of the Sinaloa Cartel loyal to Zambada in Culiacan."
"The State Department says that the DEA and FBI have tracked him for over a decade, and their investigations indicate that Ponce Felix traffics narcotics worth millions of dollars. He is also accused of moving drug proceeds back to Mexico. His other operations include firearms trafficking, and he is accused of kidnapping, torture, and murder as mechanisms to maintain his power and control over this valuable territory along the U.S.-Mexico border."
The U.S. offered a $5 million reward for Juan Jose 'El Ruso' Ponce Felix, a Sinaloa Cartel leader in Culiacan accused of trafficking cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. He is accused of arms trafficking, moving drug proceeds to Mexico, and paying over $1 million per month in bribes to Mexican government, police, and military officials to protect operations. He began working for Ismael El Mayo Zambada in 2012 and led cartel soldiers who carried out kidnappings, hostage-taking, torture, and murder at a ranch he owned. He formed Los Rusos, the cartel's armed wing in Culiacan, and is linked to a violent split with Los Chapitos.
Read at english.elpais.com
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