Authorities in Arizona have uncovered a Canadian gang network linked to crime syndicates in Arizona, India, and the Middle East, revealing just one of the many operations used by the Sinaloa Cartel to traffic drugs from Mexico to the US, and then to Canada and beyond.
Federal agents in Arizona have arrested Opinder Singh Sian on drug trafficking charges and he is now in federal custody while awaiting a hearing later this month. These charges originate from criminal filings in California’s Central District. Although the cases remain sealed, certain documents have surfaced online, pointing to various ethnic gangs in Canada collaborating with the Sinaloa cartel to produce significant quantities of drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine.
As reported by Vancouver Sun, Singh’s criminal beginnings were modest. Over a few years, he managed to forge connections with Irish and Italian gangs, various Mexican cartels, primarily from Sinaloa, and crime syndicates from the Middle East. Some earlier reports suggest Singh is affiliated with the Canadian gang known as the Brother Keeper Ethnic Gang; however, the Vancouver Sun indicates he is neither a member nor a leader, though he has strong ties to them. Citing sealed court documents, the Vancouver Sun notes that the investigation into Singh commenced in 2022 when the US Drug Enforcement Agency’s Turkish office embedded a confidential informant into a drug trafficking operation moving substances from California to Australia. Turkish gangs allegedly provided the DEA with contact information for North American crime leaders who could facilitate drug supplies. According to disclosed documents, Singh and the informants reportedly met multiple times in Vancouver and California to coordinate various drug-related activities.
This past Wednesday, former President Donald Trump enacted a new law reclassifying fentanyl-related precursor chemicals as Schedule 1 drugs, as reported by Breitbart News.
“Today, we’re striking a significant blow against drug dealers, traffickers, and the cartels we’ve all heard about over the years,” Trump stated during the signing ceremony in the Oval Office. After a brief applause, he added, “…and this marks a historic step toward justice for all the families affected by the tragedy of fentanyl.”
