The Mexican army dealt a severe blow to criminal organizations in the state of Sinaloa. During a large-scale operation conducted this Thursday, eleven suspected members of a cartel were killed and another was captured, according to official figures released by the Ministry of Public Security.

An intervention under high tension

The Navy was targeting residences linked to the faction of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada , a notorious drug trafficker detained in the United States since 2024. As they approached one of the targets, law enforcement officers were met with heavy gunfire. The military's response was immediate and fatal, killing all eleven assailants.

A context of internal war and international pressure

This operation is taking place in a particularly unstable climate in Mexico:

1. Fratricidal war: The Sinaloa cartel is torn apart by a bloody conflict between Zambada's supporters and the sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán .
2. Pressure from Washington: Under pressure from the Trump administration, Mexico has intensified its fight against drug trafficking. The primary objective remains to curb the export of fentanyl , responsible for an unprecedented health crisis in the United States.
3. A series of setbacks: This intervention comes less than a month after the army eliminated Nemesio Oseguera "El Mencho" , leader of the powerful Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).

Note: The United States now officially classifies the Sinaloa cartel and the CJNG as "terrorist organizations".