Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) said it's "highly likely" that increased violence in the state of Sinaloa is linked to the recent capture of high profile cartel leader Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.
Speaking at his daily press conference, AMLO acknowledged ongoing clashes in the area and said Zambada himself has called for restraint. "He wrote that violence is not convenient or something like that. We don't want violence, no one wants it, the people of Sinaloa don't deserve violence," he said.
"I want to tell the citizens of Sinaloa and Culiacán that we are paying attention and there are enough troops to guarantee peace and safety. Things are calming down," the president added.
Local authorities reported on Monday that a shootout between two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, the Chapitos and the Mayiza, left two people dead and two wounded.
It is the latest episode of a flareup that began after "El Mayo"'s capture and his subsequent claim that he had been ambushed by Joaquín Guzmán López, son of "El Chapo" Guzmán."
Analysts have speculated about the possibility that Guzmán López took "El Mayo" to U.S. authorities in hopes of getting a better deal for himself, as he was considering turning himself in.
His faction, known as "Los Chapitos," has been involved in a power struggle with other groups vying for cartel control, especially another group called the "Mayiza," controlled by family members and associates of "El Mayo." His apparent entry into the Witness Protection Program could signify a significant shift in the ongoing battle against drug trafficking.
While the Mexican government has delivered stern warnings (and pleas) to organized crime in the region, hoping to prevent a full-out war between warring factions in the Sinaloa Cartel, things are heating up, as many analysts expected.
The government has sent at least 1,000 troops to the region in an attempt to help prevent an explosion of violence. But despite the military presence, cartel members from both sides have begun mobilizing, with reports of gunmen being recruited and weapons stockpiled. A source close to Zambada's operations indicated that the "Chapitos," as Guzmán López and his brothers are known, have as many as 5,000 gunmen at their disposal, while the Mayiza, relies on alliances forged over decades.
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