Burning vehicles, armed clashes and narco-blockades: Cartels unleash chaos near Culiacán

Dozens of trucks and buses burned. Armed confrontations between members of the Sinaloa Cartel and the Mexican army. Narco-blockades on the main access roads and highways: violence broke out Thursday in Culiacán, the capital of the state of Sinaloa, amid tensions following the capture of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. The images sparked fears of a new Culiacanazo, the scenes of chaos, panic, and violence that plagued the city following two attempts to capture Ovidio Guzmán López, another of El Chapo’s sons and a leader of the Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, in 2019 and 2023. The mayor, Juan de Dios Gámez, confirmed that there are “actions by the security forces of the Federal Government” in the area of Jesús María, north of the capital, although he said that the violent incidents are “focused.” “The situation that has arisen is being attended to and is focused outside the city,” confirmed Sinaloa State Governor Rubén Rocha Moya. Federal authorities have not commented.

“We are aware that military personnel suffered an attack in the Peñasco area; information is being gathered on these facts,” said the Sinaloa Security Secretariat. It also reported a blockade on Mexico Highway 15, near El Limón, with two vehicles burned. Videos of the incidents, which have gone viral on social networks, show the burning of trucks, large columns of smoke, and roads blocked off to prevent the entry of security forces. The installation of anti-vehicle stinger devices has also been reported at several points in Culiacán, although local journalists have said the unrest has not spread to the south and center of the city.

Rocha stated that the aggression of “armed civilians” was the trigger for the violence and added that, during the afternoon, there was a response by the security forces. “There was a coordinated deployment with the participation of the authorities of the three levels of government,” said the governor, who made his statement almost three hours after the first images were released. Rocha asked that speculation be avoided after the emergence of several unofficial versions of the facts, which have not been verified.

The Autonomous University of Sinaloa, with around 170,000 students, suspended classes due to the violence. There were also reports of the suspension of several public transportation routes and of traffic chaos due to the attempts of the population to seek shelter. State and municipal authorities have called on residents to remain calm. There is no official information regarding deaths, injuries, or arrests.

Jesús María, a municipality dominated by Los Chapitos, the Sinaloa Cartel faction led by El Chapo’s sons, was also ground zero for the battle following the arrest of Ovidio Guzmán López, alias “El Ratón,” in January 2023. The criminal organization’s response, known as the second Culiacanazo, resulted in more than 10 hours of firefights with the military. Twenty nine people were killed during the operation, including 10 soldiers. In 2019, the authorities managed to capture El Ratón but were forced to release him after dozens of his henchmen threatened mass civilian deaths to secure the release of their boss.

Two of the four leaders of Los Chapitos are already in the United States. Ovidio Guzmán López was extradited in September last year. His brother Joaquín was arrested on July 25 along with El Mayo Zambada, after years of negotiations in an attempt to turn himself in according to the U.S. government. Mexican authorities are accusing Joaquín Guzmán López of kidnapping El Mayo and are investigating whether Ovidio was involved in the betrayal that led to the alleged kidnapping of the drug lord in Sinaloa, according to a statement from the Mexico Attorney General’s Office.

The other two brothers, Iván Archivaldo and Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, remain at large in Mexico and are considered the current leaders of the organization by U.S. authorities. Washington accuses Los Chapitos of being the main source of the fentanyl that floods the U.S. and has offered rewards of up to $10 million for information leading to their capture. Since the arrest of El Mayo, Sinaloa has been on edge, amid fears of a power struggle within the cartel, a war against other criminal organizations, and clashes with security forces. Around 600 soldiers were deployed last week to reinforce Sinaloa, a historic cartel stronghold.

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