Mexican troops have killed 19 people suspected of being members of the Sinaloa Cartel in a shooting that took place in the northwestern state of the country, the ministry of defense said.
The incident took place after troops were attacked by over 30 people in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa. The state has become a battlefront after the cartel split in two factions which formally began a war in early September: the "Chapitos," led by the sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, and the "Mayiza," controlled by the son of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.
The turf war escalated after Zambada was captured in late July and turned over to American authorities in Texas, a move he blames on Joaquín Guzmán López. Zambada accused López, who was also taken in on that day, of kidnapping him.
The defense ministry said the suspected cartel members killed were presumed to be part of Zambada's faction. The recently-inaugurated Claudia Sheinbaum administration has sent additional troops to the area after launching a task force seeking to bring order to the state.
Cartel expert Jesús Lemus told Infobae that the ongoing conflict will lead to the dissolution of the cartel as a unified entity, noting that while its criminal activities will continue, the cartel's branding is expected to disappear, giving way to splinter groups.
Over the past month, the conflict has been marked by intense security operations, gun battles, and massacres in various parts of Sinaloa, particularly in Culiacán and Mazatlán. Both sides have circulated messages accusing political figures of complicity, while claiming territorial gains and exposing alleged betrayals within their ranks.
Authorities have been arresting other top members of the cartels, the latest example being the right-hand man of the security chief for "Los Chapitos," a man known as "El Cañas."
"El Cañas" is believed to be the right-hand man of Humberto Figueroa, alias "El 27," the security chief for the Sinaloa cartel faction known as "Los Chapitos." Other four people were arrested as part of the operation.
Mmembers of the military confirmed the arrest of another key member of the criminal organization in late September. Mario Alexander Gámez., a.k.a "El Piyi" was captured in Culiacán during an operation carried out by the army and the National Guard. "El Piyi" is allegedly a close collaborator of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, one of the sons of "El Chapo" and one of the current leaders of "Los Chapitos."
Originally published in Latin Times.
