Former Chicago Drug Kingpin Weighs in On Trump’s Job Targeting the Mexican Drug Cartels

Margarito “Jay” Flores Jr., once the biggest U.S. distributor for El Chapo’s Sinaloa Cartel, says President Trump is making major progress in the fight against Mexican cartels.

Flores Jr., who helped authorities bring down El Chapo, appeared with his face blurred for safety on Borderland: Narcosis with Vincent “Rocco” Vargas. He praised the administration’s ongoing efforts.

“I believe that the Trump administration is doing a great job,” Flores Jr. said. “It’s kind of winding down a little bit in the media, but I believe the government is still at full force going after these drug cartels.”

Flores predicted that the factions led by Ismael “Mayo” Zambada and El Chapo’s sons, known as Los Chapitos, won’t last much longer. He cited recent arrests as signs of serious pressure.

“To the American public, some of these arrests might not seem significant because they don’t have a name,” he explained. “But they mean something. The pressure from the United States is making a difference, and it’s going to continue.”

Earlier this month, Trump directed the Pentagon to use the military against Latin American cartels. Reuters reported that U.S. troops have already been deployed to target narco-terrorist organizations.

Flores suggested the same strategy will eventually cripple CJNG, another powerful cartel. “If the government continues this pressure, I don’t see it lasting two years,” he said.

He added that Trump’s efforts are reshaping the cartel landscape faster than at any time in decades. “More has happened in the last year than I believe in the last 25 years in terms of United States prosecutions and arrests,” Flores said.