Mexico Sends Dozens of Special Forces Troops To Sinaloa In Bid To Counter Ongoing Cartel Violence

Almost three months since the streets of Sinaloa were set ablaze due to territorial conflicts between "Los Chapitos" and "La Mayiza," two of the Sinaloa Cartel's most prominent factions, local and federal government officials continue to make efforts in order to curb ongoing violence in the region.

In this context, Mexico's Ministry of Defense (SEDENA) is reinforcing its presence in the state by sending 100 new units of the country's Special Forces. As Infobae reports, an aircraft belonging to the National Guard this week transported the Army's Special Forces Corps to join hundreds of troops already in the area.

The outlet explained that the new troops will be in charge of conducting surveillance work as well as installing a new military checkpoint around the state. They will join operations and arrests that have hit the cartel's hierarchical structure with captures of key "generators of violence" as the Claudia Sheinbaum administration seeks to curb violence from the ongoing turf war.

Ongoing Violence

Cartel members recently destroyed more than 80 video and surveillance cameras at one of Sinaloa's C4/ISR center (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance).

Besides destroying equipment at the center considered to be the military's "nervous system," multiple shootouts were reported in several places around Culiacán during the early hours of Nov. 26.

Amid the constant threats and fear among the population, Sinaloa's Autonomous University (UAS) announced that in-person classes were temporarily suspended for the municipalities of Culiacán and Navolato.

"At UAS, the integrity of our community is out top concern, that is why we are implementing this security protocol," the school said in a statement.

At least 400 homicides

Since turf wars between "Los Chapitos" and "La Mayiza" erupted on Sept. 9, Sinaloa's Ministry of Public Safety (SSPC) has reported at least 409 homicides.

That is despite Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's multiple security measures such as the creation of the "Fuerza de Tarea" task force and her Security Strategy for the First 100 Days, with aims to neutralize criminal networks as well as capturing generators of violence in certain regions of northern and central Mexico.

Hundreds of people are missing

Cartels are also responsible for the disappearance of hundreds of people. According to data from the organization "Sabuesos Guerreras," which focuses its efforts on searching for graves and missing people in Sinaloa's capital, hundreds of people have gone missing between Sept. 1 and Oct. 30.

Most of the cases have taken place in Culiacán, the state capital. During that period, 154 of the cases reported took place there, out of which only 33 have been found alive while 14 others were found dead.