Mexican Sinaloa Cartel fentanyl producer Ivan Valerio Sainz Salazar Mantecas has been indicted by the DOJ
A Sinaloa Cartel fentanyl producer accused of supplying millions of lethal pills to the Chapitos has been charged in a recently closed US case after Mexican authorities arrested Ivan Valerio Sainz Salazar in Sinaloa, federal prosecutors said.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Thursday that Sainz Salazar, also known as “Mantecas,” is facing charges of fentanyl trafficking and weapons charges tied to his alleged involvement in the Sinaloa Cartel and smuggling it into the US.
Mexican authorities arrested Sainz Salazar and several suspected accomplices in Badiraguato, Sinaloa, on Jan. 19, 2026, according to the Secretary of Security and Civil Protection of Mexico, Omar H. Garcia Harfuch.
“In an operation carried out by the National Guard, the Mexican Army and the Air Force, the authorities arrested Iván Valerio ‘N,’ called ‘Mantecas,’ the leader of a group linked to the Beltrán Leyva organization,” Garcia Harfuch wrote in X. “He was arrested along with 7 members of his gang, along with firearms, progressive vehicles and a drug manufacturing facility.”
According to the indictment, federal prosecutors say the Sinaloa Cartel remains one of the main drivers of fentanyl flowing into the US, fueling overdose deaths across the country. The synthetic opioid is more powerful than heroin and has devastated communities across the country.
Investigators suspect a gang called the Chapitos – led by the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán – oversees much of that operation, relying on police to protect drug dens, human trafficking routes and leadership, often using military-grade weapons.
Prosecutors say that Sainz Salazar worked as an important producer of fentanyl for the Chapitos from the year 2022 to 2025, helping to make millions of pills, organizing drug transactions under armed protection and operating labs that later became the center of the group’s fentanyl production.
Sainz Salazar, a 40-year-old Mexican citizen, was charged with conspiracy to import fentanyl into the US and conspiracy to distribute it domestically – counts that each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and multiple life sentences.
He is also charged with using and possessing assault rifles and destructive devices in connection with the alleged drug conspiracy.
One weapons count carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum of life in prison, while a related conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
“As alleged, Sainz Salazar served as the main supplier of fentanyl for the Sinaloa Cartel to the United States,” said US Attorney Jay Clayton. “Fentanyl kills, and violent dealers in fentanyl must be removed from our streets. Today’s charges target a major manufacturer that supports Chapitos’s supply chain and underscore the commitment of the women and men of our Office to arrest traffickers at all levels of the production and distribution chain.”
Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of cartel boss “El Chapo,” pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and criminal conspiracy in a Chicago court in December.
Guzmán López, 39, is among the so-called Chapitos, a group of brothers who took over the Sinaloa cartel after El Chapo was convicted of drug charges in 2019.
Prosecutors say the brothers increased the production and distribution of drugs, including fentanyl, and created a large pipeline that funneled tens of thousands of kilograms of drugs into the US each year, each report.
Guzmán López pleaded guilty to two counts of drug trafficking and continuing a criminal enterprise after admitting his role in overseeing the transportation of drugs to the US, mainly through underground tunnels.
Guzmán López’s lawyer said the plea deal allows his client to avoid a life sentence, according to the Associated Press.
Guzmán López was arrested in July 2024 along with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who has long been aboard a private plane in Texas.
This request follows a similar agreement reached months ago by his brother, Ovidio Guzmán López, on charges of smuggling and money laundering.
El Chapo himself remains locked up in a US maximum security prison serving time in prison for running a multi-billion dollar smuggling empire. Prosecutors say his son replaced him.
