What happened
Mexico has deployed over 1,800 federal troops to the state of Sinaloa, which is controlled by cartels. The troops, including 1,000 Mexican Navy infantrymen, will be stationed in the port city of Mazatlán and the state capital of Culiacán. This move aims to increase the military presence in the area and curb the raging violence.
The Sinaloa Cartel has been waging a fierce turf war, resulting in thousands of deaths and disappearances. The conflict between two factions, Los Chapitos and La Mayiza, has led to a high number of murders in Mazatlán. The violence escalated after Los Chapitos kidnapped a top cartel leader, Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, and handed him over to US agents, creating a rift between El Mayo's family and Los Chapitos.
According to law enforcement and human rights groups, Sinaloa has seen over 3,100 murders and at least 5,000 forced disappearances in the past two years. However, the true number of casualties is expected to be much higher.
