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Quick Hit:

A Sinaloa Cartel leader told CNN that President Trump’s border crackdown has made cartel operations “much tougher,” admitting the gang’s smuggling business has been disrupted by the administration’s hardline approach.

Key Details:

• CNN correspondent David Culver interviewed the masked cartel member in the back of an SUV. The man — clad in black clothing, gloves, and sunglasses — conceded that Trump’s policies have made his criminal work harder, responding flatly, “Oh yeah. Yeah.”
• He said Trump’s border enforcement has disrupted cartel routes and made smuggling riskier, limiting the group’s ability to operate freely.
• The trafficker, who admitted to killings and cross-border crimes, said he wanted to warn others, telling CNN, “It’s not a life. It’s not good… Once you get in, you can’t get out.”

A member of the Sinaloa Cartel — responsible for trafficking untold amounts of deadly drugs into our country — says President Trump has unquestionably made his job tougher.

The Trump Admin will not relent until this evil has been eradicated from our country once and for all. pic.twitter.com/1dNYEHlyQi

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 30, 2025

Diving Deeper:

In a rare on-camera interview, a senior figure in Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel — once run by Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán — acknowledged that President Donald Trump’s border and immigration crackdowns are taking a toll on cartel operations. CNN’s David Culver conducted the shadowy interview in the back of an SUV, describing the man as a hardened killer who has “done it all — from killing to coordinating smuggling operations.”

Asked directly if Trump’s border actions have made his job more difficult, the man didn’t hesitate. “Oh yeah. Yeah,” he replied. When Culver pressed further, he added, “Yep.” His matter-of-fact admission underscored what many border agents have long said — that Trump’s aggressive policies are slowing cartel activity and making it costlier, riskier, and far less predictable.

CNN noted that under Trump’s enforcement posture, major smuggling routes have been cut off or heavily monitored, forcing traffickers into less profitable, more dangerous corridors. Those operational disruptions have led even cartel insiders to acknowledge the effectiveness of U.S. countermeasures.

Despite his own record of violence, the masked trafficker told Culver that he wanted to deter others from following his path. “It’s not a life. It’s not good,” he said in broken English, before warning in Spanish, “Once you get in, you can’t get out.”

The man’s comments echoed those of former Sinaloa operative Margarito “Jay” Flores Jr., who told Fox News last month that Trump’s “aggressive approach” would “send a strong message to every drug trafficker across Latin America.” Flores, who worked under El Chapo’s network, said the Trump administration’s actions had already shaken criminal supply chains across Mexico and Central America.

That aggressive campaign appears to be continuing. NBC News recently reported that U.S. forces are preparing operations targeting cartel-linked trafficking hubs inside Venezuela — part of a broader strategy to dismantle networks at their source.

Taken together, the admissions from cartel veterans and the administration’s expanding reach leave little doubt: even the world’s most ruthless traffickers are feeling the pressure. President Trump’s border crackdown is working — and the cartels know it.