Full Breakdown
Culiacán Protest Highlights Ongoing Cartel Conflict and Political Turmoil
By Drooid · · How we work
Protest Marks Second Anniversary of Cartel Violence
A march in Culiacán was organized to coincide with the second anniversary of the armed feud that erupted after U.S. authorities arrested drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. Relatives of victims, local businesses, civil-society groups and the Catholic Church gathered for a Mass followed by a street demonstration. The event was intended to draw attention to the surge in murders, disappearances, extortions and robberies that officials say have accompanied the fighting between Zambada’s followers, La Mayiza, and the rival faction Los Chapitos.
Roots of the La Mayiza–Los Chapitos Feud
La Mayiza allege betrayal by the son of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the founder of the Sinaloa cartel, and have turned their weapons against Los Chapitos. Both groups regularly stage ambushes, drive-by shootings and road-block attacks by hijacking and setting fire to trucks, entangling Culiacán residents in the violence.
Political and Economic Fallout
In April, U.S. prosecutors accused state governor Rubén Rocha and nine current or former officials of conspiring with Los Chapitos to smuggle drugs into the United States. Rocha denied any wrongdoing, stepped down temporarily while Mexican prosecutors opened a parallel investigation, returned to office three weeks later, and then requested another leave of absence after President Claudia Sheinbaum posted on social media that “power without principles becomes arrogance.” Businessman Sergio Esquer, a leader in the centre-left Movimiento Ciudadano, told AFP that more than 5,000 businesses have closed since the feud began, underscoring the broader economic damage.
Official Statements & Responses
The bishop of Culiacán opened the protest Mass by urging the warring factions to end the bloodshed, emphasizing that no amount of power, money, territory or ambition outweighs a human life. Governor Rocha publicly maintained his innocence, while President Sheinbaum’s social-media remark linked the violence to a loss of principled leadership.
Verbatim Quotes
- “That's the tragedy Sinaloa is experiencing,” — Businessman Sergio Esquer — Businessman Sergio Esquer