Mexico's Sheinbaum to Launch Special Task Force to Address Sinaloa Turf Wars on First Days of Her Presidency

ALABAMA - Claudia Sheinbaum officially succeeded Andrés Manuel López Obrador as Mexico's new president for the next six years on October 1, becoming the country's first woman president. One of her main challenges will be addressing the turf wars taking place in Sinaloa and northern Mexico over the past weeks.

According to Mexican media, Sheinbaum will launch a new task force called "Fuerza de Tarea," which along with local officials will seek to bring order Sinaloa's streets and face the cartels responsible of ongoing violence, which has resulted in over 130 deaths since September 9.

A few weeks before she officially succeeded López Obrador as president, Sheinbaum said that authorities were working to restore peace in Sinaloa, but claimed that fighting fire with fire was not the right strategy.

"Going in with firepower would cause a war, as occurred in the past and which didn't get us anywhere," she said.

Sheinbaum was specifically referring to the 2006-12 presidency of Felipe Calderón, who launched a militarized "war" on drug cartels shortly after he was sworn in.

More than just confronting criminal groups in Sinaloa, the "Fuerza de Tarea" task force 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," said Gov. Rocha.

In its preliminary phase, "Fuerza de Tarea" members reported the seizure of five properties, 122 vehicles, 30 firearms, seven grenades and more than 50,000 bullets, as well as a large amount of drugs, including 45 kilograms of fentanyl.

Over the past 21 days, around 132 deaths have been reported due to 58 clashes between Sinaloa Cartel factions. Those clashes have also caused the death of 20 civilians and authorities have arrested 50 individuals involved in the shootings.