Rival Sinaloa cartel factions fight after US arrests leaders

(NewsNation) — Rival factions of the Sinaloa drug cartel are waging a deadly war in northwestern Mexico, leaving dozens dead and missing after U.S. arrests of key cartel leaders.

Violence between groups known as the “Mayos” and the “Chapos” broke out after U.S. authorities detained Joaquín Guzmán López and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in late July.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador claims that these arrests, which he says were made without Mexico’s knowledge, were the trigger for the current massacre.

“They made a deal and didn’t inform us,” López Obrador said, referring to Mexico’s attorney general. “The Justice Department was talking to one of the criminal groups in Sinaloa and they made deals.”

More than 50 people have been killed and another 50 are missing in Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa state. Gruesome displays of violence include severed heads on pizza boxes and bodies wearing baseball caps resembling those on “El Mayo” wanted posters.

The conflict has disrupted daily life in Sinaloa. Although schools have reopened, many businesses are closing early and residents are staying indoors despite heavy military patrols.

U.S. intelligence analysts suggest the conflict could last for years. The Drug Enforcement Administration reports that the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels have a presence in all 50 U.S. states and control global networks that dominate the fentanyl and methamphetamine trade.

López Obrador questioned why the US is not focusing on arresting its own drug lords and blamed US demand for the rise in fentanyl trafficking.

US officials have not yet responded to these allegations.

The Mexican president’s claims have sparked a debate over US-Mexico cooperation in the fight against drug cartels.