El Chapo: Behind Bars But Still In Power, Orders Sons To Quit Fentanyl Trade To The US

From the bowels of the notorious Florence federal penitentiary, the supermax prison in Colorado, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán is apparently still in touch with his sons, who now run the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.
Serving a life sentence plus 30 years, El Chapo, according to some outlets, was the source of the recent decision made by his sons, known as “Los Chapitos” to order an immediate ban on producing and shipping fentanyl to the U.S.

And So They Did
"In Sinaloa, the sale, manufacture, transport or any type of business involving the substance known as fentanyl, including the sale of chemical products for its production is permanently banned," declares a banner in Spanish that was draped over a billboard in Culiacan, the capital city in Sinaloa. "You have been warned. Sincerely, Los Chapitos."
Why The Change Of Heart?
According to the Mexican daily, El Milenio, several months ago, Los Chapitos, the main traffickers of the deadly synthetic opioid flooding the U.S., sent a letter to the outlet claiming they were not responsible for fentanyl trafficking in the U.S. 
"The anti-drug agency of the most powerful country in the world announced charges against us for importing and selling fentanyl. (...) We have never worked with fentanyl. However, in Sinaloa there are many who work with it," Los Chapitos wrote. "We have never knowingly established relationships with people who traffic fentanyl." 
According to Infobae, numerous other cartels and narco groups across Mexico announced they would be "obeying the order to stop producing and selling fentanyl."

Infobae also pointed out that the "alleged prohibition on trafficking fentanyl could have significant consequences at the major drug crossing points into the U.S. since more than 90% of the routes are controlled by Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán's sons and the Sinaloa Cartel."
Is It For Real?
Not surprisingly, U.S. law enforcement officials are also skeptical. They said the ban is expected to do little to curb the fentanyl trade and could lead to an increase in heroin and cocaine trafficking

"In the aggregate, it won’t mean anything," one law enforcement official told the Wall St. Journal. "They think if they do this, they won’t take as much heat." Nevertheless, to make their point, Los Chapitos sent a gruesome message this past summer when three bodies covered in blue fentanyl pills were found on the outskirts of Culiacan… a grim reminder that they, like their father, mean business.