The enforcement action
In 2024, Javier Algredo Vazquez was sentenced for his role as a chemical broker for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), procuring precursor chemicals from suppliers in China and India for fentanyl and methamphetamine production. The DOJ case revealed a sophisticated cross-border operation — but left significant questions about the full scope of the network, the upstream suppliers, and the corporate infrastructure used to move chemicals across borders.
Tracing the corporate network
Using Sayari Graph, analysts traced Algredo Vazquez’s corporate connections across U.S. and Mexican jurisdictions. The investigation revealed front companies used to import precursor chemicals under legitimate-appearing trade descriptions. Corporate registration data exposed shared directors, common addresses, and overlapping ownership structures connecting multiple import entities to the same network — suggesting a coordinated procurement apparatus designed to distribute shipments and avoid detection thresholds.
Trade data analysis
Sayari trade data quantified the scale of the operation: $5M+ in precursor chemical imports flowing through identified entities, with shipments originating from chemical manufacturers in China and India. Analysis of import volumes, chemical compositions, and shipping patterns revealed quantities sufficient to produce an estimated 700M+ methamphetamine doses and 3B+ fentanyl doses — making this one of the most significant precursor chemical procurement networks documented through open-source trade data.
Why this matters
This investigation demonstrates how trade data and corporate records can reveal the full scope of cartel procurement networks that enforcement actions only partially expose. The methodology — starting from a known enforcement action and expanding through Sayari’s data — is replicable for any investigation involving cross-border chemical procurement. For government agencies, it provides leads beyond the initial indictment. For financial institutions, it reveals entities connected to narcotics trafficking that may appear in their customer or counterparty portfolios.
Sayari’s Commercial World Model covers 10.6B+ primary-source records across 250+ jurisdictions. The platform resolves entity identities, traces ownership chains, and delivers evidence-grade intelligence that enables analysts to conduct investigations like this one at scale — from corporate registries and trade manifests to beneficial ownership records and sanctions lists.