11 suspected criminals were killed
Mexico City, Mar 19 (EFE).–
Mexico’s Security Cabinet reported on Thursday the death of 11 suspected criminals in an operation in Sinaloa, western Mexico.
The daughter of El Mayo Zambada, leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, currently imprisoned in the United States, was also arrested during the operation, but she was subsequently released.
According to authorities, the military deployment took place in several municipalities of Sinaloa and included a raid on a residence apparently linked to the criminal faction known as Los Mayos.
Subsequently, naval personnel located another property used by members of the same group, where they were attacked and returned fire.
As a result of the confrontation, preliminary reports indicate that 11 suspected criminals were killed and high-powered weapons were seized at the scene.
The Security Cabinet indicated that it maintains a presence in the area and that the operation continues with the objective of protecting the population.
According to local media, the woman detained and later released was Mónica Zambada Niebla, daughter of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who in 2007 was implicated by US authorities in connection with alleged involvement in companies used for money laundering.
She was sanctioned by the US government in 2019, but was later removed from the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control list.
A violent internal power struggle has been raging within the Sinaloa Cartel since late 2024, following the arrest of co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, who was reportedly turned over to the United States by Joaquín Guzmán López, a leader of the Los Chapitos faction and son of “El Chapo” Guzmán.
According to figures from the NGO State Council for Public Security (CESP), since Sep 9, 2024, the conflict between Los Chapitos and Los Mayos has resulted in more than 1,800 deaths and more than 2,400 forced disappearances in Sinaloa. EFE
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