Sinaloa, Mexico – A surge in cartel violence has prompted state officials to suspend school activities and advise residents to stay indoors, as two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel engage in intense fighting. The clashes, which have been ongoing for several days, have drawn minimal response from federal police and military forces.
In a video message, Sinaloa Governor Ruben Rocha Moya urged citizens to remain calm and take necessary precautions, assuring them that authorities are working to mitigate the impact of the violence on the local community. However, the governor’s words have done little to ease the concerns of residents, who have been living in fear of the escalating conflict.
The violence is believed to be a result of a power struggle between two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, one loyal to Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who was recently captured and extradited to the United States. The other faction, known as Los Chapitos, is comprised of the sons of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, the jailed Sinaloa Cartel kingpin.
According to sources, the tensions between the two factions have been building for weeks, following a secret meeting in late July between Joaquin Guzman Lopez and El Mayo, which allegedly ended with Guzman’s gunmen kidnapping El Mayo and handing him over to U.S. authorities. Since then, both Guzman and El Mayo have been in U.S. custody, awaiting trial.
The power vacuum created by El Mayo’s capture has sparked a violent backlash from his loyalists, who are seeking revenge against Los Chapitos for their perceived betrayal. As the conflict escalates, residents of Sinaloa are bracing themselves for further violence, with many fearing that the situation will only continue to deteriorate.
