Street fentanyl has long been viewed as unstoppable. Now many experts say the supply of the deadly synthetic opioid is suddenly drying up in many parts of the U.S. and fatal overdoses are dropping.
Ismael Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, and Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of another cartel leader, were arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas, the U.S. Justice Department said.
Members of the Mexican cartel are facing several charges involving fentanyl trafficking, weapons and money laundering in New York, Illinois and Washington, D.C.
The advisory follows the kidnapping of four Americans earlier this month in the city of Matamoros. The state's Department of Public Safety said "cartel activity" made trips to Mexico a "serious risk."
The abduction took place on the streets of Matamoros, Mexico. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for the return of the Americans and the arrests of those involved.
Emma Coronel Aispuro faced charges of conspiring to distribute drugs into the U.S. from Mexico and laundering the profits. Investigators say she helped stage her husband's tunnel escape from prison.
A diplomatic row has frozen U.S.-Mexican efforts to target drug cartels. American officials say illicit fentanyl from labs in Mexico is driving a surge in overdose deaths.
