Culiacán, the beating heart of the Sinaloa Cartel empire, is once again caught in the deadly crosshairs of a cartel civil war. In a raw, unfiltered audio message, a representative of Mayito Flaco—the son of the elusive Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada—lays out the brutal realities of this shadow war. It’s a carefully worded declaration that is equal parts warning and threat, directed squarely at local law enforcement. The message pulls no punches: stay out of the fight, or face the consequences.
Delivered with cold precision, the communique accuses the rival Chapo faction of wreaking havoc on the city—extortion, kidnappings, arson, and chaos. This, the speaker claims, justifies the Mayiza gunmen’s arrival in Culiacán to “restore order.” But the subtext is clear: this isn’t a peacekeeping mission; it’s a battle for control. The city, and its people, are the prize.
Framing themselves as reluctant enforcers of justice, the Sombrero mob declares their dominance in the ongoing war while warning law enforcement to pick a side—or better yet, stay out of it entirely. The words are delivered with an air of menace cloaked in formality, a sinister blend of propaganda and power play. What follows is the full transcript—a chilling window into the world of cartel politics, where words can be as deadly as bullets.
The Transcript
The transcript is translated and transcribed by Sol Prendido of Cartel Insider.
“Ok, so here it goes. This audio message goes out to the local municipal government. Which are the municipal, state, ministerial, and highway patrolmen. I ask that you not get involved in affairs that don’t pertain to you.
This war is only between the Chapo and Mayo operatives. As you may already know, the Mayiza gunmen have entered the city. Therefore, the dirty Chapo Zetas chose not to fight in areas where the civilian population wasn’t around.
They’re out there robbing, extorting, burning homes down, and kidnapping women. Because of this, we’ve been tasked with having to go into the city. And we’re now inside Culiacán. Overall, this is currently the biggest problem for everyone.
The municipal and state policemen who are supporting our adversaries are hereby advised not to get involved in any armed attack. This fight isn’t against you guys. But it is against the filthy Chapo gunmen.
We’re already aware that there are individuals working with them who are there under threat. We also know who they are and what vehicles they move around in. We’re giving you guys an opportunity not to get involved in this.
We in turn won’t attack you. Mayito Flaco respectively sends out this communique to everyone. So that peace and calm return to the state. And in turn, you don’t get involved in this conflict between the Chapo and Mayo assassins.
We currently have a winning balance in our favor. Everyone already knows that the Sombrero mob is winning the majority of this war. Once again, I ask everyone not to get involved in a conflict that has nothing to do with you.
Otherwise, if we find out that anyone came against or shot at the Sombrero mob, we will be coming after you. We are the absolute Mayito Flaco mob. And we’re also at his service. Long live the Mayiza mob.”
Mica’s Analysis: Behind the Mask of Mayito Flaco’s Message
Mayito Flaco’s communique is a masterclass in cartel propaganda, blending calculated diplomacy with barely veiled threats. On the surface, it appears to seek peace, but beneath the formal tone lies a clear power play. The analysis below breaks down the significance of his words and their broader implications:
Neutrality or Coercion?
By calling for law enforcement to stay out of the fight, Mayito Flaco’s faction attempts to appear reasonable. But the subtext is clear: any perceived opposition will be met with violence. This tactic isolates rival factions and pressures officers into inaction.
Portraying the Enemy as Predators
The message accuses Chapo’s gunmen of crimes against civilians, a common tactic to delegitimize opponents. This positions the Mayiza faction as defenders of order, even as their own entry into Culiacán escalates the violence.
Rhetorical Dominance
The repeated claim of “winning balance” serves to project strength and inevitability, a psychological strategy for demoralizing rivals and reinforcing loyalty among allies.
Implications for Civilians
While the message promises “peace,” its very existence signals the instability gripping Culiacán. Civilians remain at risk, caught between two factions seeking dominance at any cost.
This communique underscores how cartels weaponize language, using fear and persuasion to control not just the battlefield but the narrative itself.
In this war between Chapo and Mayo’s factions, neutrality is no longer a choice—it’s a demand, delivered with the weight of a veiled threat. For the law enforcement officers of Culiacán, Mayito Flaco’s message leaves one chilling ultimatum: stay out of the way, or become a target.
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10 Comments
Damn Mica, sometimes you put too much on it. The message can’t just stand on it’s own words huh??? He’s not telling the local government to stay out of the way. He’s telling them not to do anything on Chapitos’ behalf. He even says they know who are the ones that works for them and in what vehicles they move around. That this is their chance to go neutral. It’s a known fact that there’s local cops zhat works for Chapitos as well as state cops that even carry out missions and killings, etc. for them. A couple they’ve already killed. And the reason that citizens are in danger is because Chapitos don’t want to take it out to the unpopulated areas and do their thing.. And they are winning the war for the most part. And Chapitos do tax and extort the average citizen. I got family in this and to me it seems like they’re just calling it like it is. Like they say, con sobreaviso no hay traicion. He’s just letting them know and the choice is on them. They’ve already know what the results will be on each option.
We might not agree, but I respect your perspective. One thing we can agree on is that the Chapitos have committed many of the crimes you mentioned—and let’s be honest, the Mayos engage in the same kinds of actions.
To be clear, I don’t take sides or root for any cartel—I simply lay out the facts as they are. As for the war, no one is truly winning by a significant margin, if at all. It’s a bloody stalemate, with devastating consequences for everyone caught in the middle.
You sound like a supporter of MF. That’s cool, I don’t care either way. I talked to both sides to learn. Both of these cartels are evil and nobody in the history of cartels is there to “cleanse” the city. People always think the side their own is winning, it’s human nature. I would try to get my family out of there, because this war is here to stay. Zeta/Gulfo 2.0
I really didn’t care for either untill I started hearing all the bs the chapitos started doing a little after their conflict with the Damaso faction ended. From my understanding, Mayos aint as bad as the Chapitos. And yeah, I want the Mayos to win but not because Im a MF supporter, but because I think the average Mexican would suffer less with the Chapitos gone. It would be better if they took it back to pre 2006 ways, because as much as people say it would be better without cartels period, we got to face reality, that isn’t happening anytime soon, if at all in our lifetime. But things are how they are. If something would make the average citizen’ s life a little eazier than yesterday, than I would support it, and the Chapitos reign coming to an end would be one of those things in this case.
Thank you for following up and sharing your perspective. Eventually, the Chapitos’ reign will come to an end, but the aftermath will likely escalate chaos and violence. Thousands of Chapiza loyalists will continue fighting, though under a new banner, clashing with the Mayos. It’s the same cycle, just rebranded. The best possible outcome would be for the government to either back one side decisively or force both factions into negotiating a truce.
These people are delusional. They think someone outside of their echo chamber could believe there are any good guys in this…not even close to reality. It’s gotta be the drugs they’re consuming and power achieved by violence.
It would be comical if it weren’t so tragic.
Do you think the Sheinbaum/Trump negotiations will yield anything worthwhile?
My perspective shifts with every development, but it ultimately hinges on whether President Claudia has both the will and the strength to challenge the cartels independently. Frankly, I doubt she has either the desire or the political capital to disrupt the status quo. It’s far easier for her to deflect and place the blame on America’s drug problem.
At this point, I expect she’ll follow AMLO’s playbook: tighten the border to appease critics, but steer clear of any meaningful action against the cartels.
I agree wit you, it’s a completely shit show.
Thanks for your reply. It’s nice to get an educated opinion.
I guess we can’t blame her for not having any balls.
Pobre Mexico
If MZ is snitching on ALMO MF going to have some problems.