Current and former DEA officials told the I-Team the capture of a nephew of Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman this week marks another success in efforts to dismantle cartels now designated as narcoterrorist organizations. And while they say one-off captures will not demolish any one cartel, the pace is picking up, with the goal of multifaceted destabilization of the drug trade. Authorities are crediting the unprecedented working relationship between the U.S. and Mexico.
"You don't send the swan down a sewer to catch a rat. You send a bigger rat. And I think some of that is true in this situation," Jack Riley said. "Everyone's out for themselves trying to cut a good deal. So, giving somebody up in terms of an operation in Mexico, I think is going to become more and more commonplace."
Jack Riley retired as second in command of the Drug Enforcement Administration and while overseeing the DEA in Chicago helped capture and extradite the Sinaloa Cartel's drug-lord-in-chief El Chapo to the United States, who is now serving a life sentence in federal prison.
Riley said the latest capture by Mexican authorities of El Chapo's nephew, known as "Isai 'N,'" along with the recent daring capture-kill operation against CJNG cartel leader "El Mencho" mark a significant turning point.
"Early on, we would share intelligence, actionable intelligence information with our Mexican counterparts and usually two things would happen, nothing, or they would compromise it," Riley said.
He said the relationship now is resulting in impressive progress.
"I think their ability now to use our intelligence, our eavesdropping and surveillance capabilities to actually get stuff done on the ground is really amazing to me. And it's a long time coming," Riley said.
The latest arrest of El Chapo's nephew, who is wanted in the United States, happened in the border city of Nogales, according to Mexican authorities. Mexican law enforcement also seizing more than 1,500 pounds of cocaine and 150 firearms during a search of his home near the border of Guatemala.
Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Division Todd Smith explained to the I-Team this month that renewed relationship between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement is a crucial difference.
"Most recently, there has been better collaboration with the Mexican government to go after these foreign terrorist organizations," Smith said.
Riley added the terrorism designation opens up a host of tools including enhanced surveillance and military consultation to go after the broader system.
"The banks, the accountants, the communication companies that service them, the real actors that help them find locations, all of those now can be sanctioned and arrested," said Riley, who added there are risks ss cartel members are targeted and captured.
"Alliances break, break down in a city that's a major hub specifically for Sinaloa, Chicago, you may see you may see some additional violence, especially if there are members up there that have different alliances in Mexico," Riley said.
Riley stated the money is still too good to dissuade others from stepping in to fill vacancies, and that instability can spill into violence at the border and here at home.