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Meeting a member of a powerful criminal network
A revealing meeting with a member of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most feared criminal organizations in the world. Find out more about the background and threats.
Meeting a member of a powerful criminal network
In Culiacán, Mexico, we meet a man who belongs to the Sinaloa Cartel - one of the most powerful and feared criminal networks in the world. This organization was recently designated by the US government as foreign terrorist organization classified.
The threat of the Sinaloa Cartel
The Sinaloa Cartel is a group that “murders, rapes, tortures, and exercises complete control…thus posing a major threat to the national security of the United States.” US President Donald Trump has emphasized. He has promised to wage a “war” against Mexico’s cartels.
The encounter in secret
It took weeks to reach this man, confirm his identity and convince him to speak to us. Our contact on the ground in the Mexican state of Sinaloa repeatedly assured him that we were not the police - not DEA agents and not the CIA.
Insight into cartel life
We arrive at an inconspicuous house in a residential area in the south of Culiacán and are instructed to cover the camera as we enter. It is a neighborhood known for being inhabited by cartels. Once inside, we are taken to a dimly lit bedroom at the back of the house. A huge painting of Jesus Christ hangs on the wall, above a rusty bed covered in dust. An older, stocky man stands at the window, holding a walkie-talkie close to his ear and casting anxious glances at the street where cars and military vehicles drive by.
The cartel member and his surroundings
The cartel member - now a terrorist in the eyes of the US government - sits in the corner of the room. He has a firm handshake and a strong build. He wears a baseball cap with a print from the "Joker" movie pulled low over his face, a scarf wrapped tightly around his head, sunglasses to cover his eyes, and blue latex gloves to hide the tattoos on his hands. An assault rifle leans next to his chair. There are also two other walkie-talkies through which the cartel guards continuously transmit information about the movements of the Mexican military.