The murder of a top leader of one of the Sinaloa Cartel factions has sent shock waves across Mexico, and although the mastermind remains unknown, the killing is expected to have a violent outcome.
Gunmen shot and killed Eliseo “Cheyo Antrax” Imperial Castro this week as he was driving on a highway near the south side of Culiacan, Sinaloa. Mexican authorities have kept much of the information about the incident secret, but it appears Imperial was driving a Chevrolet Colorado when gunmen cut him off and fired multiple rounds at his car with a rifle, killing him. He died at the scene.
15 hanging on the streets of Mexico by Zambada’s “Mayo” sobrino “Cheyo Antrax” #Culiacan, #Sinaloa
[ El Sol de Sinaloa] pic.twitter.com/Y7kEdXp3im
— Manuel Lopez San Martin (@MLopezSanMartin) May 31, 2024
The murder shocked western Mexico because Imperial was one of the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel’s Antrax division and the nephew of one of the organization’s top leaders, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. In 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice identified El Chayo as one of the Sinaloa Cartel’s top officials and a close associate of his uncle, and indicted him on multiple drug trafficking charges.
The Sinaloa Cartel is divided into two main factions, with El Mayo leading one faction and Los Chapitos leading the other. Los Chapitos is the name given to the sons of Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán, who inherited the organization after their father was arrested and extradited to the United States. El Chapo is serving a life sentence in a United States federal prison. The faction, known as Los Chapitos, has received significant attention in recent years after U.S. authorities identified them as the main manufacturer and importer of fentanyl in Mexico. Los Chapitos has also generated controversy by creating tensions with the Zambada faction.
Authorities have not revealed who is behind the killings, but whether they come from within the Sinaloa Cartel, such as Los Chapitos or another subgroup, or from outside enemies such as Cartel Jalisco New Generation or other drug cartels, they are expected to lead to a violent outcome.
With the Mexican government’s hands-off approach to drug cartels already resulting in record levels of violence and operational impunity, new infighting could lead to another dramatic increase in violence.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist at Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. twitter and FacebookContact details: email address.
Brandon Darby is Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and other senior Breitbart executives. twitter and FacebookContact details: email address.
