Sinaloa Governor Faces Ongoing Violence Challenges
The Sinaloa governor is claiming that things are going well in his state. Yet, the persistent turf wars between rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel are, arguably, turning the area into a deadly battleground. This governor, it seems, has been elected amid significant turmoil, after two major factions clashed last year, drawing him into the conflict due to his ties with cartel leaders.
In recent public events, Governor Reuben Rocha Moya has insisted that state security forces are making strides in reducing crime. Still, he conceded that the ongoing murders are a genuine worry.
Officials are urging the community to have faith in the agencies tasked with addressing these issues. When questioned about the violence linked to the cartels, Rocha Moya sidestepped the topic, suggesting that communication regarding crime should come from the provincial security spokesperson rather than himself.
Despite his attempts to minimize the situation, violence in his state has spiraled, largely fueled by intense conflicts within the Sinaloa cartel. The government’s own statistics reveal a grim reality: Sinaloa has the highest murder rate among Mexican states.
In June, the state reported 207 murders, trailed by Guanajuato with 171 and Baja California at 162.
According to reports, the internal struggle within the Sinaloa cartel intensified last summer when the Chapitos, the sons of the imprisoned kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, held a meeting with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. This encounter led to Zambada’s capture and subsequent transfer to Texas, where U.S. authorities were ready to take action.
This perceived act of betrayal ignited a fierce conflict between the sons of El Chapo and those of El Mayo. However, the Mexican government seems to categorize these incidents merely as cases of missing persons.
Some Mexican media and political adversaries allege that Rocha Moya should have been at the meeting where Zambada was apprehended. Nonetheless, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has come to Rocha Moya’s defense, asserting that he was out of the country when these events unfolded.
