By Juan Manuel Ramírez G.
Mexico City (EFE).- One year after an internal power struggle erupted inside the Sinaloa Cartel, the homonymous Mexican has suffered 1,828 homicides and 2,390 disappearances, according to figures from the State Public Security Council (CESP).
The wave of violence has left residents of Culiacán, the state capital, living in fear and demanding peace.
On Sunday, thousands of people marched through Culiacán under the slogan “¡Ya basta! Queremos paz” (“Enough! We want peace”), criticizing state governor Rubén Rocha Moya for failing to contain the violence.
“We have lived a year where it feels like it has been raining every single day,” said Miguel Calderón Quevedo, CESP coordinator, in an interview with EFE.
He pointed to October and November 2024, and June 2025, when monthly murders surpassed 170, as the most violent months.
The conflict intensified after the July arrest of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, co-founder of the cartel, who was handed over to US authorities by Joaquín Guzmán López, son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
The rift has pitted “Los Chapitos,” loyal to Guzmán López, against “Los Mayos,” Zambada’s followers.
Earlier this year, the United States designated the cartel as a terrorist organization, further underscoring the group’s global impact.
Families search for the disappeared
Disappearances have multiplied, with nearly 2,400 cases reported in the past year.
Calderón said the actual figure may be double, as many families avoid reporting cases to authorities they do not trust.
Instead, dozens of mothers’ collectives have emerged across Sinaloa, searching for missing relatives in clandestine graves.
“We assume the government’s capacity has been exceeded,” Calderón explained. “Families often turn to faith in organized crime itself, hoping their relatives will be returned safely.”
Institutions under strain
Sinaloa has experienced similar crises before, in 2008 and 2017.
“This time, daily life has been disrupted. Nightlife has disappeared, schools and workplaces have been forced to close, and people live in constant uncertainty,” he said.
The security expert argued that solving the crisis will require a greater budget for state-level institutions such as local police, prosecutors, and forensic teams.
“We have very weak state institutions. Without the presence of federal forces, the crisis would be two or three times worse,” he warned.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday acknowledged the severity of the situation but reaffirmed her government’s commitment to restoring order.
“We will continue working. The security cabinet meets every 15 days, the Army, National Guard, Navy, and investigative units are present, and there have been many arrests. We will gradually pacify Sinaloa,” she said. EFE
jmrg/seo/mcd