MEXICO CITY, Sept 20 (Askume) – Fifty-three people are dead and 51 missing since clashes between rival factions of the Sinaloa drug cartel broke out on Sept. 9 in the western Mexican state of Sinaloa, local authorities said on Friday.
The conflict between the two most powerful factions of the Sinaloa drug cartel began in July when Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a major drug trafficker and leader of one of the groups “El Mayo” Zambada) was arrested in the United States.
Zambada, 74, claimed that a senior member of another drug cartel, Los Chapitos, kidnapped him and took him to the United States against his will .
Gunfire has disrupted daily life in the capital, Culiacan, since fighting began on Sept. 9, with schools forced to close for some days and restaurants and shops closing early.
More than 40 people had been arrested in recent days, while more than 5,000 food packages had been distributed in Sinaloa state, Governor Ruben Rocha Moya said on Friday.
The Mexican army, which has been struggling to suppress the violence, on Thursday arrested the security chief of Los Chapitos leader Ivan Archivaldo Guzman and jailed the son of former Sinaloa boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.
According to federal security sources, Fernando Pérez Medina, nicknamed “El Piyí”, was arrested in Culiacán.
Meanwhile, Mexico’s federal environmental protection prosecutor (Profepa) said it was providing resources to local authorities to feed the tree-bound tigress. Top Sinaloa drug lords often keep tigers as pets.
Profepa said in a statement that veterinarians in Sinaloa refused to assist because of security concerns and said it had provided military authorities with “cages, dart rifles and darts.” But the army was unable to save him because of the violence.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said on Thursday that the United States was partly responsible for the instability because he “carried out this operation,” referring to US officials and Joaquín Guzmán López, the trafficker who kidnapped Zambada, who had previously negotiated and mentioned surrender talks.
US officials confirmed privately that they had spoken to Guzman, but US Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar said last month that US officials were surprised to see Zambada on US soil.
Salazar said no US resources or personnel were involved in the July 25 kidnapping of Zambada.
