The head of the National Defense Secretariat (Sedena), Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, stated that the Sinaloa Cartel has increased its violence following the arrests made by the United States of three of its leaders, Ovidio and Joaquín Guzmán López, sons of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, along with Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada. In the morning conference of President Claudia Sheinbaum, Trevilla Trejo mentioned that the detention of a criminal by U.S. authorities has triggered an escalation of violence in Sinaloa, making criminal groups more aggressive and better armed.
The Secretary of National Defense supported the statements of former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and current president Claudia Sheinbaum, blaming the United States for the wave of violence with more than 200 murders in Sinaloa unleashed on September 9.
According to authorities, internal conflicts in the Sinaloa Cartel intensified after Joaquín Guzmán López allegedly tricked Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada into forcing him onto a plane and handing him over to the United States. Trevilla Trejo also pointed out that the criminal organization has become more violent since Ovidio's capture and subsequent extradition to the United States in 2023.
The head of Sedena explained that, following Ovidio's capture, criminals in Sinaloa significantly increased their bodyguards, more violent hitmen willing to sacrifice their lives, carrying heavier weaponry and generating greater violence in the region.
These statements arose in defense of the Armed Forces' actions, which conducted an operation in Sinaloa this week resulting in 19 deaths, aiming to arrest Edwin Antonio, alias 'El Max', presumed leader of a criminal cell associated with Zambada's faction. This event rekindled the debate about the increasing responsibilities of soldiers in public security, which have recently involved the death of migrants in Chiapas and civilians in Tamaulipas.
Trevilla Trejo emphasized that the military personnel involved in such operations are properly trained, disciplined, and equipped with protective measures such as bulletproof vests and helmets. The events in Sinaloa, according to the head of Sedena, led to the capture of the wanted leader, thereby supporting the actions of the forces in the region.
