The head of the National Defense Secretariat, Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, declared that the Sinaloa Cartel has become "more violent" after the arrests made by the United States of leaders Ovidio and Joaquín Guzmán López, sons of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, and Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada. Trevilla Trejo expressed at the daily Government conference that violence in Sinaloa intensified after the arrest of a criminal by U.S. authorities, which has caused criminal groups to be more violent and better armed.
The Secretary of National Defense supported the arguments of both former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and current President Claudia Sheinbaum, who have blamed the United States for the wave of violence that erupted in Sinaloa with over 200 murders on September 9. The Mexican Government insists that the internal struggle within the Sinaloa Cartel worsened when Joaquín Guzmán López handed over Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada to U.S. authorities.
On the other hand, the head of the Army mentioned that the criminal organization has become more violent since Mexico arrested Ovidio and extradited him to the United States in 2023. Trevilla Trejo justified the actions of the Armed Forces in an operation that resulted in 19 deaths in Sinaloa while attempting to capture Edwin Antonio, alias 'El Max', an alleged leader of a criminal cell linked to the Zambada faction.
These statements have fueled controversy regarding the increasing public security responsibilities of the armed forces, especially after soldiers killed migrants in Chiapas and a girl alongside a nurse in Tamaulipas. Trevilla Trejo emphasized that the military personnel involved in these types of operations are highly trained, equipped with bulletproof vests and helmets, and act with discipline to carry out operations successfully.
