Most recently, the emergence of fentanyl, a highly addictive synthetic opioid, has turned the US-Mexico border into a major battleground of a lucrative and deadly drug war. This regulatory and enforcement paradigm shift has upended the entire outlook of drug manufacturing. The old “golden triangle” of heroin in Sinaloa, Durango, and Chihuahua takes a backseat as fentanyl and guns take priority. This new murder triangle extends over the states of Baja California, Sinaloa, and Sonora. These five states are the primary areas for fentanyl seizures, and they detour directly into Arizona, a leading supplier of illegal firearm trafficking.
Fentanyl’s impact is staggering. This powerful opioid is partially responsible for the United States’ annual overdose death rate of 21.5 per 100,000 people. As fentanyl trafficking speeds up through cartels’ extensive drug trafficking networks, the link between drug and gun trafficking becomes more obvious than ever. Among these, the Sinaloa cartel influences the entire fentanyl supply chain. To protect its de facto monopoly, it uses the privileged access to chemical precursors afforded by often-unregulated Pacific ports.
In recent years, fentanyl seizures in Mexico have overwhelmingly concentrated in three states: Baja California, Sinaloa, and Sonora. According to the DEA, 92% of seized fentanyl powder and 96% of seized fentanyl tablets come from these two regions. This concentration exemplifies how the Sinaloa cartel’s economic integration across the border and its extensive experience in drug trafficking facilitate its control over fentanyl production.
This relationship between fentanyl trafficking and gun trafficking is especially alarming. Transnational criminal organizations use profits generated from fentanyl sold in the US to strengthen their military capabilities in Mexico. Arizona is a key state in providing guns. In reality, it was responsible for 57% of the guns it recovered in Mexico that were traced back to purchases made in the US within the last year.
A specific geographic triangle formed by connecting the dots between Baja California, Sinaloa, and Sonora to Arizona. This region has grown into a major corridor for drug and gun trafficking. This corridor marks the intersection of the U.S. overdose crisis with soaring homicide rates in Mexico. That in turn fuels a vicious cycle of violence and drug addiction.
“There’s no shortage or price changes reported [in the US],” – Farfán-Méndez
The authors of a recent analysis pointed out a crucial aspect of the current crisis: “Narratives that [place] casualties and costs of the war on drugs predominantly in the Global South are inaccurate in the context of synthetic opioids and, in particular, fentanyl.” This statement makes clear that the impacts of fentanyl trafficking do not stop at borders, harming communities on both sides of the North American international border.