Sinaloa Cartel traded cocaine, fentanyl for 190 stolen vehicles

The Denver District Attorney’s Office announced that 17 people were indicted after being accused of stealing at least 190 vehicles between 2022-2024 and selling them to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico in exchange for drugs. Many of the stolen vehicles were trucks or SUVs stolen from Denver airports and transported to El Paso, Texas before crossing the border into Mexico. Payment in cocaine and fentanyl was then smuggled into and distributed from Denver.

The indictment has 222 counts in it, including more than 100 counts of auto theft, more than a dozen counts of drug possession, and other crimes. The cartel preferred high-end, heavy duty vehicles. The steal was at least $10m. Here