Chapitos vs. Mayiza: Who are the New Protagonists of the ‘Narco-War’ in Sinaloa?

While the leaders of both factions continue to order skirmishes, some of their lieutenants and members of their troops have been killed or arrested.

Nearly ten months have passed since Culiacán became a war zone for the two most powerful factions of the Sinaloa Cartel: Los Chapitos and La Mayiza. Since then, homicides, abductions, and armed clashes have become a constant, terrorizing the citizens who suffer the ravages of their violence.

Because of this, the Security Cabinet has undertaken multiple actions to pacify the state, including the arrest of perpetrators of violence and the seizure of weapons and drugs. At the same time, clashes with law enforcement or between rival groups have left members of the feuding factions dead.

Whether due to the work of federal forces or the ongoing struggle between the two factions, almost a year after the outbreak of the conflict, the structure of both criminal organizations has been eroding. For example, Los Chapitos’ top security chiefs have been arrested or killed, as have some of their key operatives.

On the La Mayiza side, significant arrests have also been documented, such as that of Juan Carlos Félix Gastélum, alias El Chavo Félix, one of its main leaders and son-in-law of Ismael El Mayo Zambada.

Despite the blows both criminal groups have received, the violence continues unabated in the state, revealing not only new actors who have gained prominence after the killing or arrest of their predecessors, but also other criminal groups that are beginning to take sides with one of the warring factions.

Who is leading the “narco-war” in Sinaloa?

After Joaquín Guzmán López kidnapped and handed Ismael El Mayo Zambada over to US authorities, one of the heirs of the man also known as Señor del Sombrero ordered a battle against the sons of Joaquín Guzmán Loera.

Ismael Zambada, better known as El Mayito Flaco, ordered his troops to deploy in the Sinaloa capital with a single objective: to expel Los Chapitos. The response from the Guzmán brothers’ hitmen was swift, and their multiple armed branches began to operate.

At first, Los Chimales were the most prominent cell in the dispute. However, following the reported arrest of their leader, José Ángel Cannobio Inzunza, in February, it is now Los Ranas who have taken center stage in the armed confrontations.

On the part of La Mayiza, Los Rugrats appeared as the most prominent armed wing at the beginning of the conflict. Although no arrests have been reported of any of its leaders, they have formed an alliance with the Guasave Cartel, led by Fausto Isidro Meza Flores, with gunmen from that criminal group who have distinguished themselves in the conflict.

One of the most resonant aliases of the subordinates of the man also known as Chapo Isidro is El Vitache. Recently, a video circulated on social media shows a confrontation north of Culiacán in which a group of gunmen is seen firing at a white van.

Shouting “El Vitache has got you!” the driver of the vehicle from which the recording was made orders his subordinates to attack the van they were pursuing and its occupants. The incident left three people dead and a significant arsenal seized.

Just as the Guasave Cartel opted to side with La Mayiza, ten months after the outbreak of the conflict, Joaquín Guzmán Loera’s sons made a risky decision: to ally themselves with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

Sources consulted by journalists Luis Chaparro and Óscar Balderas agree that the subordinate of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes in charge of closing the partnership was Audias Flores Silva, better known as El Jardinero.

Since the alliance was announced on social media, videos have been circulating showing troops from the four-letter cartel in uniform in various areas of Sinaloa. Likewise, photographs of tactical equipment embroidered with the initials CJNG-IAG—alluding to Iván Archivaldo Guzmán—have been shared on digital platforms.

In this same context, “El Pelucas” has begun to appear in various publications and videos of clashes in Sinaloa. Unofficially, it’s reported that he belongs to a lieutenant sent by the CJNG (CJNG), however, there have also been reports that he operated for Los Chapitos.

Along with El Pelucas, two old allies remain within the security circle of Joaquín Guzmán Loera’s sons: Óscar Noé Medina González, alias El Panu, and Karim Elías Gil Acosta, better known as El 300, who is the brother of Kevin Alonso Gil Acosta (El 200), a key lieutenant of Iván Archivaldo Guzmán who was also arrested last February.

The fall of high-ranking members of both factions has led to the rise of new security chiefs and gunmen, while other criminal groups such as the CJNG and the Guasave Cartel are influencing the conflict, a situation that hampers the pacification of Sinaloa.

Source: Milenio