What the ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán verdict means for the powerful Sinaloa cartel
Cartel boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, 61, was found guilty Tuesday of all 10 federal criminal accounts against him, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds, international distribution of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and other drugs, and use of firearms. But the high-profile federal prosecution in New York is a largely symbolic victory for authorities in Mexico and the United States, where the cartel — based mostly in the Mexican state of Sinaloa — continues to control most major narcotics markets. “The Sinaloa cartel is still basically operating with the same power and reach,” said Mike Vigil, former chief of international operations for the US Drug Enforcement Administration. “They continue to be the most powerful drug organization in the world.” Guzmán, a founding father of the cartel named for his home state, was captured in Mexico in January 2016 and extradited to the United States a year later. But his criminal enterpr