U.S. Citizen With Ties To Sinaloa Cartel Arrested In Tijuana After Attempting To Smuggle a Vast Arsenal Of Weapons

A U.S. citizen with links to the Sinaloa cartel was arrested by Mexican authorities on Feb. 25 after he attempted to cross into Tijuana with a vast arsenal of weapons to give to the criminal organization.

The 41-year-old was identified as Scott Harvey Daniel Lee Thompson, and, according to Mexico's Secretariat of Defense, he is an associate of the criminal cell known as "Los Rusos," the armed wing of "La Mayiza," a faction of the Sinaloa cartel involved in a violent turf war in Northern Mexico with "Los Chapitos."

Thompson reportedly tried to enter Mexico through the "El Chaparral" International Bridge in Tijuana, Baja California and was stopped by border agents after they were unable to see through inside the vehicle due to tinted windows.

As Mexican authorities inspected the vehicle, they found three rifles, two handguns, 19 magazines and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition of different calibers. They also found three telescopic sights for weapons and a telescope inside Thompson's vehicle.

According to Mexican officials, Thompson and the seized weapons belonged to the armed wing that works for Ismael Zambada Sicairos, alias "Mayito Flaco" and son of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.

Who are "Los Rusos"?

The group known as "Los Rusos" is a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel who remain loyal to Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. They are a similar clique to "Los Ninis," who serve as a violent armed wing and security personnel for "Los Chapitos."

"Los Rusos" are believed to be led by Jesús Alexander Sánchez Félix, also known as "El Ruso." They control drug smuggling routes in Baja California and other areas near the U.S. border.

Since Ovidio Guzmán's first arrest in 2019, "Los Rusos" and "Los Chapitos" have been at war with each other, as authorities believe Zambada's security personnel received orders to not engage in the wave of violent retaliation by Sinaloa Cartel members in response to Ovidio Guzmán's arrest.

Weapon trafficking at the U.S.-Mexico border

According to a 2023 study by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), between 2017-2023 there was a 63% increase on the number of traces for crime guns recovered, with most of the firearms coming from border states such as Texas, Arizona and California.

The report highlights that 74% of all seized firearms in Mexico came from the U.S., mainly purchased by the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels as data showed that 82% of those guns recovered were found in states dominated by both criminal groups. Similarly, an estimated 200,000 to half a million U.S. firearms are smuggled into Mexico every year, as reported by "60 Minutes" in December.

Earlier this month, President Claudia Sheinbaum warned U.S. gunmakers they could face a series of lawsuits and be deemed as accomplices if the Trump administration carried out with their plan of designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

"If they declare these criminal groups as terrorists, then we'll have to expand our U.S. lawsuit," Sheinbaum said on Feb. 14. She added that the U.S. Justice Department has recognized that "74% of the weapons" used by criminal groups in Mexico come from north of the border.