Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has partly blamed the United States for a recent wave of violence in Sinaloa, which has resulted in dozens of deaths over the past two weeks. The president claims that the arrest of two key figures in the Sinaloa cartel by US authorities has intensified conflict between rival factions of the criminal organization.
In a press conference Thursday, López Obrador suggested that the US played a role in fomenting unrest in the region by arresting Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López, son of notorious drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, in July. The arrests, according to the president, have sparked a violent power struggle within the cartel, leading to an uptick in killings.
Mysterious Cartel Arrests and Alleged US Involvement
On July 25, Zambada and Guzmán López were arrested near El Paso, Texas, after arriving by private plane. In a statement released by his attorney, Zambada alleged that Guzmán López ambushed and kidnapped him before handing him over to US authorities. “A group of men assaulted me, knocked me to the ground, and placed a dark-colored hood over my head,” Zambada claimed, adding that he was tied up, handcuffed, and forced onto a US-bound plane.
The circumstances surrounding Guzmán López’s decision to turn himself and Zambada over to US officials remain unclear. López Obrador, however, pointed the finger at the US Department of Justice, accusing it of having “agreements” with a criminal organization that facilitated Zambada’s arrest. The Mexican president described the operation as a kidnapping and said it had exacerbated the internal strife within the Sinaloa Cartel.
Despite these allegations, US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar previously denied any American involvement in the operation. “It was not a US plane, it was not a US pilot, it was not our agents or our people in Mexico. This was an operation between the cartels, where one handed over to the other,” Salazar said in a statement on August 9.
Violence Erupts in Sinaloa
The arrests of Zambada and Guzmán López appear to have triggered a surge in violence in Sinaloa, particularly between factions loyal to Zambada and those aligned with other members of the Guzmán family. Since September 9, violent clashes have resulted in at least 49 deaths, with many bodies found in public spaces such as streets and highways.
The violence prompted Sinaloa’s governor, Ruben Rocha Moya, to suspend Independence Day celebrations and close schools for two days. Speaking on the recent turmoil, López Obrador noted that such levels of violence had been rare in Sinaloa before the arrests. “In Sinaloa, there wasn’t the violence that there is now,” he remarked.
Nevertheless, the president assured the public that the situation was not completely out of control. He emphasized that the Mexican Armed Forces are taking action, though he acknowledged the high toll the conflict has taken on security forces. “We are there, but we have had to take special measures and move elements of the Armed Forces,” López Obrador said, confirming that several officers had been killed in recent clashes.
Military Losses and Continuing Conflict
Mexican Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval revealed earlier this week that at least two soldiers were killed in the violence last week. As the cartel infighting continues, authorities grapple with how to contain the situation and restore order in Sinaloa.
The arrests of Zambada and Guzmán López have intensified an already dangerous power struggle within the Sinaloa Cartel. López Obrador’s accusations against the US are adding another layer of complexity to the situation. As both Mexican and American officials navigate the fallout, the escalating violence in Sinaloa remains a serious concern for the region’s stability.
