As turf wars between the two Sinaloa Cartel factions known as "Los Chapitos" and "La Mayiza" continue and are set to enter a third month of violent conflicts, reports coming from Mexico are signaling that the clique that has remained loyal to the latter group, led by those close to Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, has received a new boost as two major criminal bosses in Tijuana pledged their allegiance to the group.
Known for being a key region in its drug trafficking business, Tijuana has been in control of the Sinaloa Cartel for years. And after months of distancing themselves from the conflict in Sinaloa, two plaza bosses known as "La Rana" and "Aquiles" are now siding with "La Mayiza" due to their family links to Zambada.
René Arzate García, a.k.a "La Rana" and Alfonso Arzate García, a.k.a "Aquiles" supervise the drug trafficking operations for the Sinaloa Cartel in the region, and according to journalist Héctor de Mauleón, both are godchildren of Zambada.
According to the journalist's account, their support for "La Mayiza" was corroborated on Oct. 21 when Edwin Antonio Rubio López, alias "El Oso" and/or "El Max" was captured by Mexican armed forces in the rural community of Plan de Oriente, less than 10 miles east of Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa.
The confrontation began when more than 30 members of "El Max's" bodyguard team opened fire on the military personnel. As the soldiers repelled the attack, the battle between SEDENA forces and cartel members left 19 of the attackers dead.
"It was clear since then that 'Aquiles' and 'La Rana' had picked a side in the conflict, deciding to support the son of their godfather," said de Mauleón.
Apart from being known for their role in drug trafficking operations, the Arzate García brothers are regarded as one of the main generators of violence in the region and responsible for carrying out enforcement operations, such as kidnappings and executions, for the Sinaloa Cartel, according to U.S. authorities.
Who are the Arzate brothers?
As plaza bosses in Tijuana, "La Rana" and "Aquiles" have managed the cartel's drug trafficking operations for years, and have been involved in importing large quantities of illicit drugs, including fentanyl, into the U.S.
On July 25, both brothers were indicted and charged by a U.S. District Court in California with drug trafficking offenses and in 2023 they received sanctions from the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
They have been on the radar of U.S. authorities since 2014, when both brothers were indicted on marijuana trafficking charges.
According to intelligence reports from Mexico's National Center of Intelligence (CNI), the Arzate brothers dominate one of the three prominent smuggling routes of fentanyl for "La Mayiza" along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Apart from Tijuana, "La Mayiza" has control over routes in the city of Nogales, Sonora, led by Sergio Valenzuela Valenzuela, alias "El Gigio," as well as control over the routes in Mexicalli, Baja California, who are supervised by Jesús Alejandro Sánchez Félix, a.k.a "El Ruso."
Cartels fighting for control over Tijuana
Despite "La Mayiza" and "Los Chapitos" constant clashes to control drug smuggling routes in Tijuana, the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) has also inserted itself into the disputes for territory in the region, thus increasing cartel-related violence.
During the first half of 2024, the municipality of Tijuana recorded almost 1,000 homicides, practically the same amount as in all of 2023. As of mid-October, that number increased to 1,441 reported homicides, out of which 31% of them (461) took place since July. On average, Tijuana is reporting more than 150 homicides per month in 2024.
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