Top Security Member of Sinaloa Cartel Faction 'Los Chapitos' Arrested in Mexico

A top member of a Sinaloa Cartel faction currently embroiled in a turf war was arrested by Mexican law enforcement on Thursday.

The man, known as "El Piyi," is the security chief of Archivaldo Iván Guzmán Salazar, son of "El Chapo" and believed to be leading "Los Chapitos," the group currently battling with the faction known as the "Mayiza," controlled by the son of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada after his capture in late July. The groups have escalated their attacks over the past days, with the death toll already being over 30.

Mexican law enforcement said in a press release that "El Piyi" had replaced Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas in the role after he was extradited to the U.S. in May. El Piyi was apprehended in Santa Fe, west of Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa, along with six "heavily armed" companions.

According to Noticias Telemundo, the operation is seemingly part of a broader plan to crack down on the warring factions of the Sinaloa Cartel. Mexican troops have also gone into Culiacán seeking to help restore calm.

Most schools were open, but The Associated Press reported that parents were still not sending their children to classes. Despite soldiers patrolling the streets, many are still in hiding in fear for their lives.

The fighting has led to an increase in murders, kidnappings, and fear among residents. Businesses and schools in the city, which has a population of one million, remained closed last week after the violence erupted, marking an unprecedented level of disruption in a region long accustomed to cartel-related unrest.

Over 30 people have been killed since September 9, when a faction of the eponymous cartel led by the sons of "El Chapo" seemingly declared war on the one now controlled by the son of "El Mayo."

Local media and specialized journalists are reporting of bodies being left on the streets as apparent messages to the opposing faction. Five bodies were recently found near a water park on the outskirts of Culiacán. All were positioned against a wall, adorned with large sombreros on their heads and smaller ones on their bodies.

Though the exact meaning is often unclear, specialized journalist Ioan Grillo explained, the sombreros could be a reference to the "Mayiza," a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel loyal to Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.

It remains uncertain whether the victims were Mayiza or if the killers left the hats as a taunt. This ambiguity is common in the escalating cartel war, he added. Days earlier, a severed head was discovered in a pizza box on a Culiacán street, possibly referencing the Chapitos, who are nicknamed "Chapiza" (a play on the word pizza).