Authorities in Sinaloa found "narco messages" conveying a message to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. The three banners accused two members of the military of corruption as well as having ties with criminal groups, particularly a faction of the Sinaloa cartel engulfed in a bloody turf war.
Authorities believe the Sinaloa cartel faction known as "Los Chapitos" are behind the banners. The Sinaloa Cartel faction is also believed to be behind the distributing of brochures from small planes accusing influencers and YouTubers of having ties with its rival.
Local media reported that the "narco messages" were found during the early hours of Jan. 13 in the municipality of Elota, a region in between the cities of Mazatlán and Culiacán. According to pictures that circulated on social media, one of the banners accused an army commander of "passing along information and selling firearms to rival factions."
#LaCruz #Sinaloa
— Ivan (@aic_07) January 13, 2025
Cártel de La Chapiza cuelga mantas en la cabecera municipal de La Cruz, Sinaloa 📍@LatamObscuro @LAMERAVRG13333 pic.twitter.com/swuUavjYgt
"La Mayiza" has been at war with "Los Chapitos" since the arrest of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada back in July of last year. The former believes one of the sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán betrayed Zambada and facilitated his capture.
As Infobae points out, it is not the first time that "narco messages" are used by "Chapitos" and "Mayos" alike as part of their propaganda campaigns.
During the early weeks of the ongoing turf wars several banners were put up all across Sinaloa when President Sheinbaum was just days away of being sworn in.
Among the most impactful ones was a banner that "welcomed" Sheinbaum and her predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador as they visited Sinaloa to inaugurate the Santa María dam.
Members of drug cartels wrote the phrase "Welcome to Culiacán" all over a white van as the two government officials attended the inauguration.
Another "narco message" aimed at President Sheinbaum was put up back in October, where alleged members of "Los Chapitos" accused the Cabrera Sarabia family —longtime allies of "El Mayo" and founding members of the armed wing known as Grupo Flechas— of being responsible for the wave of violence terrorizing Zacatecas and Durango.
In the more than four months since the violent conflict erupted in Sinaloa, the entity has reported at least 715 cases of intentional homicide, averaging 5.6 per day, while 844 more people have been kidnapped by criminal organizations.
Originally published on Latin Times
