‘War is looming’: Sinaloa cartel strife unleashes deadly violence in Mexico

By Jorge Antonio Rocha

MEXICO CITY (AA) – The Sinaloa cartel has trapped Mexico’s northern state in a violent siege, leaving a trail of bodies and disappearances as authorities struggle to restore peace.

The cartel stronghold is no stranger to such violence, but the ongoing fighting for control over the most powerful organized crime syndicate in the Western Hemisphere is unprecedented.

The spike in violence since Sept. 9 follows the July imprisonment of the cartel’s leader and co-founder, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, who joins his associate, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera, currently serving a life sentence in the US.

The Sinaloa cartel has extended its reach beyond the Americas to Europe, Asia and Africa, creating a multibillion-dollar industry now up for grabs.

The power struggle between the old leadership and an ambitious new generation seeking absolute control has turned Sinaloa into a veritable war zone.

As of Sept. 18, at least 46 people had been killed and 60 were missing, according to local non-profit groups, citing figures from Mexico’s National Defense Ministry.

On social media, Sinaloan users are sharing harrowing accounts of fear and violence in the state. Masked men wielding military-grade weapons have taken control of the streets, with the sound of gunfire constantly echoing through the region.

“I believe that following El Mayo’s arrest, we are beginning to see potential fractures and betrayals within the Sinaloa cartel,” journalist and public security researcher Irma Mejia told Anadolu.

“From my perspective, it was the only cartel that had not yet experienced fragmentation. This unity gave them particular strength and power.”

- Inside the cartel

Unlike other criminal organizations in Mexico, the Sinaloa cartel is not structured hierarchically but operates more like a “federation,” with different criminal groups working under various leaders, according to Insight Crime, a think tank focused on organized crime in the Americas.

In corporate terms, the cartel’s internal governance more resembles a board of directors rather than a centralized leadership. The fall of one leader is not easily compensated for by another in line.

“Usually, if you take out a leader, they can be replaced by someone else. Here, that’s not the case,” said Mejia.

This “federation” was held together by trade and territorial agreements among the cartel’s various factions. Sometimes these alliances were further solidified through marriages between different families.

While Guzman and Zambada maintained a relatively amicable relationship, both controlled their own territories and commanded separate armies.

“I believe the problem lies in alliances made with other regional groups. In reality, we know that those pacts are only secured through blood when broken,” she said.

Following Guzman’s arrest in January 2016 and extradition to the US in January 2017, some of his sons began to take leadership roles, antagonizing their father’s former colleague.

- ‘Los Chapitos’ factor

Joaquin Guzman Lopez, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, collectively known as “Los Chapitos,” or “the little Chapos,” now hold power in the Sinaloa cartel, with their base of operations in Culiacan, the state capital.

They have continued their father’s business of trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana, while also expanding into synthetic drugs, including fentanyl.

In 2019, US authorities indicted Joaquin and Ovidio for smuggling cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana into the US. Additionally, the four brothers have been identified as the leading figures responsible for trafficking fentanyl into the US.

Los Chapitos have previously unleashed violence in their home state.

In 2019, when Ovidio, known as “The Mouse,” was arrested by Mexican authorities, the cartel launched a series of violent attacks, resulting in the deaths of 19 alleged criminals and 10 military officers. Ovidio was eventually released on the orders of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

In January 2023, Ovidio was arrested again. Although the cartel engaged in shootouts and clashes with Mexican forces, he was ultimately extradited to the US.

- ‘A war is looming’

On July 25, Zambada was arrested by US authorities in El Paso, Texas, along with Joaquin. Two weeks later, the 76-year-old leader revealed that he had been ambushed and handed over to US officials by the son of his former colleague, a betrayal that appears to have been the final straw.

“I believe a war is looming that could leave widespread destruction in its wake,” said Mejia.

“We’ll have to see how this impacts areas where El Mayo had a presence, which was significant alongside Los Chapitos. I believe this will bring terrible consequences for everyone, not just for Sinaloa, but for the regions where El Mayo had control.”

The Mexican government has shown little ability to quell the violence threatening Sinaloa and the country at large.

On Sept. 17, military commander Francisco Jesus Leana Ojeda said that peace ultimately depends on the warring factions.

“It doesn’t depend on us. It depends on the opposing groups to stop confronting each other and to leave society in peace,” he said at a press conference.

Meija views these remarks as further proof of just how much control cartels have over the lives of Mexican people.

“This confirms that the peace of the Mexican people is in the hands of organized crime,” she said.

“It is clear that there is no real effort to combat organized crime, regardless of the cartel, because the authorities cannot act, and getting involved would only escalate the violence, as the cartel itself has warned.”