Who are the three captured linked to the Sinaloa cartel?

On Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th of March, three people were arrested for links to drug trafficking in different addresses in Guatemala City. The three are accused of collaborating with the Sinaloa cartel, a criminal organization dedicated to drug trafficking, according to information from the Ministry of the Interior.

The arrest warrants were issued for extradition purposes to the United States by crimes of drug trafficking and related to firearms. Although the three are linked to the cartel, for the moment the authorities rule out that they have any friendship or relationship between them.

“It is suspected that the three collaborated with the criminal organization, but it is ruled out that they knew each other or had any relationship or friendship. Two of the detainees are Mexicans and the third captured is a Guatemalan,” authorities explained.

Agents of the #SGAIA from @PNCdeGuatemala Humberto Beltrán Cuen, 70, of Mexican nationality, is captured in zone 10 of the capital. He has an arrest warrant for extradition to the US, for conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. pic.twitter.com/s2vDXRhq18

— MinGob (@mingobguate) March 18, 2023

Who are the three captured?

Ana Gabriela Rubio Zea, aka “Gaby”

According to the arrest warrant, Rubio Zea, a 32-year-old Guatemalan, was captured for being required to appear on trial in the United States for trafficking and for crimes against money laundering, following an indictment filed on March 14, 2023. in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

According to the investigation, Rubio Zea is suspected from 2014 to date of having worked as a key supplier of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China to drug traffickers in Mexico, including members of the Sinaloa cartel. In addition, the authorities suspect that in 2021 in Mexico, 25 kilograms of fentanyl chemical precursors that Rubio Zea bought from China were seized.

Charges and accusations

• Cargo 1: conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl with intent, knowledge, and reasonable cause to believe that the fentanyl would be illegally imported into the United States, in violation of Sections 963, 952(a), 959(a), 959 (c), 960(a)(1), 960(a)(3), and 960(b)(1)(F) of Title 21 of the United States Code, and Section 3238 of the United States Code .
• Cargo 2: conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Sections 846, 841(a) and 841(b)(1)(A) of Title 21 of the United States Code, and Section 3238 of Title 18 of the United States Code.
• Cargo 3: conspiracy to commit money laundering, in violation of Sections 1956(h), 1956(f) and 3238 of Title 18 of the United States Code.

#Expansion
The Public Ministry coordinated with the National Civil Police, in zone 10 of Guatemala City, the apprehension for extradition purposes of Sergio Antonio Duarte Frías, pic.twitter.com/Lelmn5E0j5

— Guatemalan MP (@MPguatemala) March 17, 2023

Sergio Antonio Duarte Frias

According to the arrest warrant Duarte Frías, a 26-year-old Mexican, was captured for links to drug trafficking on Friday in Guatemala. The authorities explained that the suspect is targeted in an investigation related to international drug trafficking, possession of firearms and related money laundering.

In the case it is investigated that Duarte Frías teamed up to collect money from various drug dealers in the United States. “These associates converted the money, which represented the proceeds from the sale of drugs in the United States, from cash to cryptocurrency, which the associates transferred to the cryptocurrency wallets controlled by the requested one who converted the transferred cryptocurrency back to cash, which delivered to traffickers in Mexico as payment for the sale of drugs in the United States,” details the arrest warrant.

During the course of the investigation, it was also evidenced that the defendant sold fentanyl that was imported by associates into the United States, on multiple occasions, and asked to collect currency from the drug proceeds, to convert the money into cryptocurrency and to send the cryptocurrency to a cryptocurrency portfolio subscribed in the name of the requested, also discussed the possibility of the use of weapons as valuables that could be smuggled into Mexico.

The crimes against Sergio Antonio Duarte Frías

• Cargo 1: conspiracy to import into the United States, 400 grams and more of mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
• Cargo 2: Conspiracy to distribute with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of mixtures and substances containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
• Cargo 3: possession of machine guns and destructive devices, aiding and abetting it.
• Cargo 4: conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
• Cargo 5: conspiracy to commit money laundering.

#UltimaHora
The Public Ministry coordinated with the National Civil Police the apprehension of two extraditables.

The operations are carried out simultaneously in zones 10 and 15 of Guatemala City.

We will expand. pic.twitter.com/Rny6d51uDw

— Guatemalan MP (@MPguatemala) March 17, 2023

Huberto Beltrán Cuen, alias “Don Chino”

Huberto Beltrán Cuen, alias “Don Chino”, Captured on Saturday, March 18, 2023, he is a 69-year-old Mexican citizen. He is required to stand trial in the United States for drug trafficking and firearms-related crimes.

Details and indications according to the arrest warrant:

• He is a subject in Indictment No. 23 Cr. 136 filed March 14, 2023 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
• charge one: conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl with intent, knowledge, and reasonable cause to believe that the fentanyl would be illegally imported into the United States.
• charge two: possession, use and transport of machine guns and destructive devices, in connection with a crime of drug trafficking, aiding and being an accomplice thereof.
• charge three: conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices in connection with a crime of drug trafficking.
• United States authorities identified an international drug trafficking organization, based in Sinaloa, Mexico, which, since at least August 2022, to the present date, has been responsible for importing large quantities of fentanyl from Mexico into the United States.
• The Investigation identified Beltrán Cuen as a member of this drug trafficking organization, who has conspired with at least three other individuals to distribute fentanyl in the United States.
• Between or around August 2022, to the present date, Beltran Cuen, aka and his accomplices have negotiated with three other confidential sources to supply multiple kilograms of fentanyl in the United States. They have established evidence of drug trafficking and firearms-related activities.

#Extraditable

The Public Ministry coordinated with the National Civil Police the apprehension for extradition purposes of Humberto Beltrán Cuen, also known as “Don Chino” of Mexican nationality. With the capture of Beltrán Cuen, there are 3 extraditables in less than 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/NrgDIlNcDy

— Guatemalan MP (@MPguatemala) March 18, 2023