On October 21, 2024, an intense confrontation in Culiacán, Sinaloa State, Mexico resulted in the Mexican military killing 19 people suspected to be part of the Sinaloa cartel. The clash was sparked by an attack from over 30 armed individuals approximately seven miles from the state capital. A local cartel leader was also apprehended during the exchange.
According to the Mexican Defense Department, the soldiers were merely defending themselves and their actions were both legally and ethically sound, showing complete respect for human rights. The aftermath of the confrontation yielded seven vehicles and approximately 30 firearms, inclusive of machine guns, ammunition, and military-style gear.
The individual taken into custody during the clash is Edwin Antonio Rubio López, a top lieutenant of the “Mayitos” faction. This group pledges loyalty to the incarcerated drug kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García.
Despite the deployment of around 3,300 soldiers and National Guard members to Sinaloa to counter the rising violence, incidences of aggression, including attacks on local newspapers and continued shootings, persist in the region.
The present conflict was originally sparked by claims from Zambada that he was abducted and forced onto an airplane by Joaquín Guzmán López, a leader of the rival “Chapitos” faction. This brutal group, notorious for torture, consists of the sons of the imprisoned drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman, who co-founded the cartel with Zambada.
The Sinaloa Cartel, one of the largest and most active fentanyl trafficking organizations, is held responsible by U.S. officials for a significant portion of the illegal
