The New York Times has documented that the Sinaloa Cartel continues to traffic fentanyl from Culiacán, Mexico, into the United States despite increased law enforcement operations. The cartel has adapted by employing more creative and smaller-scale smuggling methods, including the use of secret compartments, lookouts, and bribery involving corrupt officials on both sides of the US-Mexico border. This criminal network operates as an "ecosystem" that includes vigilantes, drivers, packagers, and corrupt border agents facilitating the drug's transit. The cartel also maintains clandestine, artisanal-style fentanyl laboratories, indicating a persistence in production and distribution despite government crackdowns. These findings highlight the evolving tactics of one of Mexico's most powerful criminal syndicates in circumventing intensified border security measures.