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Latine Times reported that El Universal had published an article confirming that between 2000 and 2012, "DEA agents met more than 50 times with cartel members…to obtain information on rival drug gangs." The report explained that in exchange for this information, the DEA provided future benefits such as dropping charges against Sinaloa members.

Huffington Post reported that El Universal based its reports on several interviews and official documents including those related to the Chicago trial of Jesus Vicente Zambada-Niebla, the son of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, Sinaloa leader.

The confirmation of these rumors has circulated on social media sites such as Twitter and has people from all over the United States expressing their frustration with the DEA's actions. Here are a few such Tweets:

It's time to say the #DrugWar failed when the #DEA allowed Mexican cartels to smuggle drugs for other lower key cartel information.

— Chris Lemus (@ChrisJLemus) January 14, 2014

Don't #worry it's just our #government #whoring themselves out to a #cartel. #usa #wtf #drugwar #weed #sinaloa http://t.co/MyQvblb0o1

— Patrick Tamayo (@PatrickTamayo3) January 14, 2014

#DEA psychopaths aided #Chapo Guzman's deadly #Sinaloa #cartel. Prohibition of #drugs is a democidal sharade! http://t.co/iuwi6Tlzo2 @UNODC

— Cannabis World News (@MarijuanaGlobal) January 14, 2014

In an interview with El Universal, Edgardo Buscaglia, senior professor at the University of Colombia, said that this is not the first time the DEA has operated in this fashion. 

He explained that in the 1980s they held similar negotiations with Colombia, Cambodia, Thailand and Afghanistan. "This modus operandi implies a violation of international public law, apart from being more fuel to the fire of the violence [in Mexico], with violations to due process and human rights," he said.