Court records or official announcements from U.S. or Mexican authorities

Dámaso 'El Mini Lic' López Arrested in Virginia on December 14, 2024, for Fentanyl Trafficking; Linked to Javier Valdez Murder

Dec 14, 2024, 06:18 PM

Dámaso López Serrano, known as 'El Mini Lic', was arrested in Virginia, United States, on December 14, 2024, for fentanyl trafficking. López, a former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel and a former informant for U.S. authorities, had been on supervised release since 2017 after previously cooperating with law enforcement. His arrest raises questions about the effectiveness of the U.S. narco informant system. The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, confirmed the arrest, calling it a 'very important' capture. López is also implicated in the murder of journalist Javier Valdez. The FBI has confirmed his capture, which has been described as significant in the ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking in the U.S.