Mexico's New President Vows to End Sinaloa Cartel Violence

President Claudia Sheinbaum, in a decisive move to address the surging violence in Sinaloa, promised a robust combination of "investigation and intelligence" on Wednesday to end the internal power struggle within the Sinaloa Cartel. Since the conflict erupted last month, over 140 people have been killed in Sinaloa’s capital, Culiacán, underscoring the pressing need for governmental intervention.

In her daily press briefing, "Mañanera del Pueblo," Sheinbaum emphasized that efforts to stabilize the state would revolve around two key pillars: addressing the root causes of violence and conducting targeted arrests. She articulated a multifaceted strategy to bring peace to the region, but ruled out a return to the “war” approach used by past administrations, citing the imperative to uphold human rights.

"War means permission to kill. We are not going to return to that era," Sheinbaum remarked, referencing Mexico's fraught history of drug wars. “For all those who speak of the rule of law, it is protection of human rights, and there will not be collusion with crime.”

The violent flare-up in Sinaloa follows a power struggle within the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Mexico. According to government sources, the tension intensified when Joaquín Guzmán López, son of the notorious cartel leader Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, handed over Ismael "Mayo" Zambada to U.S. authorities in late July. Zambada’s extradition, seen as a betrayal by factions within the cartel, escalated into violent confrontations between Los Chapitos, the faction loyal to Guzmán's sons, and La Mayiza, the faction aligned with Zambada.

This internal conflict has plunged Sinaloa into a state of unrest, with daily reports of shootings, road blockages, and civilian casualties. Sheinbaum, who assumed the presidency on October 1, inherited a delicate situation from her predecessor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whose administration downplayed the escalating violence and often shifted the blame toward U.S. drug policies.

A National Strategy with Local Focus

In response to the crisis, Sheinbaum announced that the national security strategy she presented earlier this week would be tailored to meet the unique challenges in Sinaloa. This strategy is centered on four key axes: addressing the root causes of criminal behavior, consolidating the National Guard’s presence, strengthening intelligence and investigation capabilities, and improving coordination with state and local governments.

The president, however, stressed that Sinaloa would require an intensified focus on "attention to the causes" and "strengthening intelligence and investigation." The first component involves addressing the socio-economic conditions that lead young people to join criminal organizations, a long-standing issue in cartel-dominated regions. The second component aims to reduce impunity by enhancing law enforcement capabilities to track and arrest the criminals responsible for fueling the violence.

“In Sinaloa, we are committed to strengthening intelligence and investigation,” Sheinbaum declared. “We must focus on preventing young people from becoming involved in criminal activities, while also ensuring that the architects of violence are brought to justice.”

Deployment of Armed Forces and the Role of the National Guard

The federal government has responded to the violence in Sinaloa by deploying over 2,500 agents from Mexico’s Armed Forces. However, military officials acknowledge that the lasting resolution to the conflict hinges on whether the warring factions within the Sinaloa Cartel agree to cease their internal strife. Despite the military’s presence, the conflict shows little sign of abating, leading some to question whether the government’s approach is sufficient to contain the violence.

Following a recent visit to Culiacán by members of the federal security cabinet, including Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection Omar García Harfuch, Sheinbaum outlined the government’s immediate actions to restore order. General Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, head of the National Defense Secretariat, held critical discussions with Sinaloa’s governor, Rubén Rocha Moya, to assess the current security landscape and determine how to enhance military and law enforcement operations in the region.

The National Guard, which already maintains a significant presence in Sinaloa, will see its deployment bolstered as part of the government’s strategy to provide immediate security and reassurance to local communities. “There is a detachment of the National Guard, and it will be reinforced based on operational needs,” Sheinbaum confirmed.

Governor Rocha Moya echoed Sheinbaum’s sentiments, stating that the National Guard's increased presence would be instrumental in quelling the violence. "The agreement was that active personnel from the National Guard will be concentrated with the idea of generating greater security in the state," Rocha Moya told reporters.

Restoring Peace through Non-Military Means

Sheinbaum’s strategy, while prioritizing law enforcement, also calls for non-military interventions aimed at addressing the socio-economic drivers of violence. This includes bolstering educational and employment opportunities in cartel-ravaged areas, particularly targeting young people who are vulnerable to recruitment by criminal organizations. The president's administration plans to implement social programs designed to prevent at-risk populations from being drawn into the cartel’s orbit.

This dual approach reflects a broader shift in Mexico’s drug policy under Sheinbaum’s leadership, where the government is attempting to move away from militarized solutions toward a more holistic framework. Sheinbaum has repeatedly signaled her administration’s reluctance to engage in the type of large-scale military confrontations that characterized the administrations of Felipe Calderón and Enrique Peña Nieto, both of whom waged aggressive campaigns against the cartels with limited success.

Yet, the complexity of the situation in Sinaloa, where powerful criminal factions control vast swathes of territory and exert influence over local populations, raises concerns about the feasibility of such an approach. Critics argue that while the focus on intelligence and investigation is crucial, the lack of immediate military action could allow cartels to regroup and continue their operations with impunity.

As Sheinbaum navigates her presidency’s first major security crisis, the challenge will be balancing her administration’s long-term vision for social and economic reform with the immediate need for security in Sinaloa. Her commitment to a less confrontational approach contrasts sharply with the violence that has unfolded in recent weeks, and whether her strategy will lead to lasting peace remains to be seen.

For now, the people of Sinaloa wait, caught between the promises of a government seeking to avoid bloodshed and the realities of a cartel war that shows no signs of slowing down.