Members of local police in Culiacan, Mexico, were taken off the streets after the army confiscated their weapons, officials announced Monday. This action followed a Sunday protest where 1,500 residents of the Sinaloa capital demanded peace after weeks of cartel violence that has caused over 130 deaths in less than a month.
Governor Ruben Rocha Moya announced that the 1,000-member police force wouldn't return to duty until their guns, seized for inspection, were returned. In the meantime, soldiers, state police, and the National Guard will patrol the city.
This inspection of their permits and serial numbers, Rocha said, was not routine but an "exceptional" measure, according to the Associated Press.
The Mexican army has a history of seizing local police weapons when they suspect officers are working with drug gangs or carrying unregistered firearms to avoid accountability. A similar weapon seizure occurred in Cuernavaca in 2018 to ensure "trustworthy security forces.
Culiacan has been the center of violent clashes between two factions of the Sinaloa cartel: the "Chapitos," led by the sons of imprisoned drug lord El Chapo, and the "Mayiza," aligned with Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. The conflict escalated after Zambada and Joaquin Guzman Lopez were apprehended in the U.S. on July 25, leading to a violent power struggle that has escalated since September 9.
Sunday's protest, organized by the civic group "Culiacan Valiente", or "Brave Culiacan," was the first public outcry since the fighting began. Dressed in white, residents marched with signs demanding safer streets and a return to in-person schooling, which has largely shifted online due to daily shootings. Governor Rocha Moya acknowledged the cartel war and promised to confront both factions equally.
The violence has reached such extremes that cartel gunmen are hijacking vehicles and burning them to block roads. Rocha himself was stuck in traffic last Friday after a cartel blockade. In this context, the country's new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, is set to aunch a new task force called "Fuerza de Tarea," which along with local officials will seek to bring order Sinaloa's streets.
More than just confronting criminal groups in Sinaloa, the "Fuerza de Tarea" task force will focus on protecting civilians and offering quick responses when a situation arises. One of the main concerns for those deployed during the operation also includes locating those who have gone missing in recent weeks.
Gov. Rocha Moya also mentioned that five checkpoints will be installed in strategic locations along Sinaloa's most important highways in order to respond to any blocking attempts by criminal groups.
"What we want is that tow trucks are not just waiting, but instead located near the spots where a possible block by criminal groups can take place. We want to act fast," said Gov. Rocha.
Local army commander Gen. Francisco Leana Ojeda, said recently that people "want this to be over as soon as possible". "But it doesn't depend on us, it's up to the warring groups to stop confronting each other."
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