Sinaloa Cartel Power Struggle Erupts: Dozen Dead as Violence Grips Northern Mexico
Staff Editor Cartel Infighting Escalates in Sinaloa, Leaving Dozen Dead
Recent violence in the northern Mexican state of Sinaloa has claimed the lives of about a dozen people, authorities report. The killings are believed to be linked to internal conflicts within the Sinaloa cartel, one of Mexico’s dominant drug trafficking organizations.
The surge in violence follows the July 25 detention of two top cartel leaders, including Joaquín Guzmán López, a member of the influential Chapitos faction. Guzmán López reportedly surrendered to U.S. authorities and is alleged to have abducted rival faction leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
Mexican authorities maintain they were not involved in the July 25 capture and have shown reluctance to crack down on the Sinaloa cartel. This hesitance is reportedly due to both cartel factions possessing potentially damaging information on government officials.
Sinaloa state Governor Rubén Rocha confirmed that recent killings are connected to the cartel dispute, with four deaths reported on Friday and six on Saturday. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador acknowledged two additional killings, bringing the total to at least a dozen victims.
The Mexican government’s approach to cartel violence has been one of non-confrontation, with López Obrador often expressing a preference for peace over conflict. This stance has drawn criticism, particularly from U.S. officials advocating for more aggressive anti-cartel policies.
The current power struggle within the Sinaloa cartel centers on control over Zambada’s faction. Zambada, known for his extensive network and insider knowledge, is reportedly leveraging his position to ensure an orderly transition in cartel leadership. A jailhouse letter attributed to Zambada implicated the Chapitos faction in the killing of Hector Cuén, although official accounts of Cuén’s death have been inconsistent.
Recent violence has targeted associates of Zambada, with reports of torture and execution. However, it remains unclear which faction is responsible for specific acts of violence. Adding to the turmoil, the lavish tomb of a prominent cartel clan was recently destroyed, and the corpses of clan members were stolen.
These events underscore the complex nature of the Sinaloa cartel, revealing it to be less a monolithic organization and more a loose alliance of drug trafficking clans. As internal conflicts and power struggles continue, the situation in Sinaloa remains volatile and unpredictable.
