(NewsNation) — Mexico has seen a new “golden triangle” of fentanyl and drug trafficking that is fueling a crisis at the border.
The triangle spans three different Mexican states: Baja California, Sinaloa and Sonora. More than 90% of fentanyl seized by Mexican officials came from these states, according to The Guardian.
In this region, illicit activity is directly linked to the Arizona border, which has become a key entry point for guns and drug smuggling for criminal organizations like the Sinaloa cartel. This is partially because of the cartel’s proximity to the ports there. It gives them direct access to chemical precursors needed to make fentanyl coming from China.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, roughly half of the fentanyl seized on the southern border is coming through legal ports of entry. Meanwhile, Arizona’s role in gun trafficking has soared in recent years, with 57% of firearms recovered in Mexico between January and July of 2024 being purchased in the U.S.
This is a key indicator for Mexican authorities that the firearms were bought with the intention of trafficking. Just recently, agents working with Mexican authorities seized AK-47s and ammunition at an illicit smuggling site on the border used by cartels for drug smuggling.
Across the border in Sonora, agents shared intelligence with Mexican authorities who were in turn able to seize more AK-47s, over 3,000 rifle rounds, tactical gear and three live grenades inside a cartel stash house.
Cartels have also lured American teens to engage in gun trafficking, as a 16-year-old was caught at the border attempting to bring those firearms into Mexico for the cartels.
With Arizona and the golden triangle being hubs for trafficking, the homicide rates in Mexico have soared, and drug overdose rates have skyrocketed on the U.S. side.