Additional searches determined that a Jan. 12 YouTube video (archived) was the oldest existing record of users promoting the rumor. Examining the rumor and AI-generated imagesOnline searches found numerous social media users sharing the story, particularly on Facebook. The post began, "BREAKING: ICE, FBI & DEA Take Down Thousands of Sinaloa & CJNG Cartel Operatives in Minneapolis — Hidden Drug Hubs, $220M in Crypto, and Lethal Fentanyl Seized in Operation Iron North." At least one user shared a post (archived) with a different AI-generated image featuring a purported Fox News chyron. The post began, "Operation Iron North: The cking Truth Behind the Sinaloa & CJNG Cartels' Corporate-Style Drug Networks!"