Part 4/5:
What makes this situation even more complex is the lack of clarity among those within the Mexican federal government. Even officials at senior levels are unsure of what is truly happening on the ground. The longstanding operation of drug trafficking into the United States—spanning five decades—suggests that influential figures within Mexican political and military circles may have longstanding ties to cartel power brokers.
Such connections could imply that Sambada’s networks had protected him at the highest levels, possibly providing him with immunity or influence that helped him stay hidden for so long. Now, with his imprisonment, those connections could become pivotal in understanding the fragile balance of power in the region.