Sinaloa Cartel Gangster’s Son Found With 42,000 Fentanyl Pills

The son of a high-ranking member of the notorious Sinaloa cartel has been jailed after a police raid uncovered 42,000 fentanyl pills in an apartment.

Brian Jesus Zazueta, 23, is the son of Adolfo Zazueta-Bueno, a leading member of the Sinaloa cartel, and was sentenced Wednesday to 13 years and four months in federal prison for drug trafficking. He must also serve five years of probation upon release.

The Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most powerful and notorious drug trafficking organizations in Mexico, is one of the driving forces behind the fentanyl crisis in the United States.

“The defendant (Zazueta) comes from a large and prestigious family of drug dealers,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard said in court documents. Zazueta-Bueno, a former Pasco resident, is now a fugitive from justice in Eastern Washington and currently lives in Sinaloa, Mexico, according to prosecutors.

His son, Zazueta, of Sunnyside, is described in court documents as a mid-level manager of a Mexican drug-trafficking organization that was responsible for distributing drugs in Spokane and eastern Washington.

As a U.S. citizen, Zezueta was able to travel freely between America and Mexico and was the leader and organizer of his father’s operation, acting as his “eyes and ears,” according to the DEA.

Newsweek contacted Department of Justice for comments by email.

On March 9, 2023, the DEA and the Spokane Police Department found Zazueta at a home in Kennewick, Washington, with fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin.

Law enforcement officials discovered $6,000 in cash, receipts documenting money transfers to Sinaloa, Mexico, and ledgers detailing drug transactions.

Zazueta pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine as part of a plea deal that led to the dismissal of charges related to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin.

“By targeting drug trafficking organizations, we are cutting off the supply of deadly drugs that are wreaking havoc in our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “Mr. Zazueta was in charge of an organization that distributes a large amount of illegal narcotics.

Thanks to the excellent work of the DEA, the Spokane Police Department and federal prosecutors, Mr. Zazueta is headed to federal prison and our communities are safer and stronger as a result.”

“Mr. Zazueta sowed the seeds of despair in Eastern Washington while reaping the profits from his distribution of methamphetamines, fentanyl and heroin,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division.

“Thanks to the DEA, Spokane Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Zazueta learned that these actions had consequences, and the sentence in this case should make others stop before they sell drugs that harm our communities.”

Border security and stopping the flow of illicit narcotics into the country is a top concern for voters in this year’s presidential election.

Fentanyl overdose has risen to become the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45, according to the DEA. More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.

Vice-President Kamala Harris pledged to target “the entire global fentanyl supply chain.” She said China is starting to crack down on fentanyl precursor chemicals, but more needs to be done.

The former president Donald Trump blamed the increase in fentanyl on the border policies of the Biden-Harris administration.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid approved by the FDA for pain relief and anesthesia. It is about 100 times more powerful than morphine and 50 times more powerful than heroin in terms of pain-relieving effects.