The Mexican government has sent additional troops to Sinaloa as part of an ongoing effort to address the violence stemming from the cartel wars raging in the state of Sinaloa.
Concretely, the Claudia Sheinbaum administration is sending 100 members of the special forces to Culiacán to "provide support to personnel and the deployment that three levels of government have in the municipality of Sinaloa."
The deployment takes place days after Sheinbaum introduced a task force as part of her plan to address cartel violence, where two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel have been clashing since Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada was captured by U.S. authorities in late July.
Called "Fuerza de Tarea," she said it will focus on protecting civilians and offering quick responses when a situation arises. One of the main concerns for those deployed during the operation also includes locating those who have gone missing in recent weeks.
In a press conference, Sinaloa Gov. Rubén Rocha Moya said that the task force will be comprised of members from the Mexican Army, the National Guard and the National Center of Intelligence (CNI). The plan will be in place during the first 100 days of Sheinbaum's term in Culiacán and other municipalities in northern Mexico affected by the violence.
Gov. Rocha also mentioned that five checkpoints will be installed in strategic locations along Sinaloa's most important highways in order to respond to any blocking attempts by criminal groups. "What we want is that tow trucks are not just waiting, but instead located near the spots where a possible block by criminal groups can take place. We want to act fast," he said. Overall, the federal government has deployed more than 2,500 troops to the region.
However, despite his statements, Rocha Moya is being investigated for alleged ties to the Sinaloa Cartel faction known as "Los Chapitos," led by the sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.
The ties had been publicly mentioned by "El Mayo" in a letter published shortly after his capture: there, he revealed that he was supposed to meet with Rocha Moya before being detained. Although Sinaloa's governor has denied any wrongdoing or ties with criminal groups, an intelligence report from SEDENA obtained by Proceso magazine details cooperation between Rocha Moya and the faction known as "Los Chapitos," fighting the faction led by "El Mayo's" son, known as the "Mayiza."
The report details that Rocha Moya has grown "extremely nervous" and "deeply worried" about his and his family's safety since Zambada was detained by U.S. officials in July.
Over the past month, almost 200 people have been reported dead as a result of the clashes. The figure includes almost 20 civilians and authorities have arrested 50 people involved in the fighting.
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