At least 192 killed in wave of violence between drug gangs in northwest Mexico

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) - At least 192 people have been killed in a wave of violence that began last month between warring drug gangs in Mexico's northwestern state of Sinaloa, the State Public Security Council, a local civilian-led watchdog, said Wednesday.

The council, which consists of members of Sinaloan society such as academics, business representatives and non-profits, said that to date, nearly 200 murders and 226 disappearances have been reported since the onset of the violence on Sept. 9.

Around 200 families have fled the violence, with 180 businesses closing and 2,000 jobs lost amid the armed conflict between the leading factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Following the arrest of notorious drug kingpin and Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada on July 25, a violent shift in the power dynamics of the cartel founded by Zambada and Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in a US prison, took place.

As the 70-year-old Zambada was taken into custody by US authorities in El Paso, Texas, the sons and heirs of El Chapo, the second largest force inside the cartel, called The Chapitos, embarked on a violent power grab and ignited a brutal war in their hometown in Sinaloa.

As the Chapitos and Zambada's loyalists have mobilized their troops, Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha Moya announced last week that 590 National Guard troops had moved in to shield the state.

"We hope that they will help us…The National Guard, Air Force, Navy and State Police are also very coordinated in their work, which has helped us reduce (violence). Unfortunately, however, we cannot say that it has been completely resolved yet," he said.