In July 2024, the arrest of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, cofounder of the Sinaloa Cartel, in Texas prompted a noticeable increase in disappearances, as reported by activist Maria Isabel Cruz and her colleagues at Sabuesos Guerreras, an organization searching for missing individuals in Culiacan, Sinaloa. This trend intensified following a violent power struggle within the cartel, leading to a dramatic rise in homicides, with reports indicating an increase from 44 murders in August to 142 in September. By 2025, the death toll reached 1,657, while Sabuesos Guerreras estimates that approximately 5,800 individuals have vanished since Zambada’s arrest, suggesting that the conflict’s toll may be significantly underreported. Despite ongoing government efforts to dismantle cartel leadership under the “kingpin strategy,” many, including former Morelia security commissioner Bernardo Leon Olea, question its effectiveness and the persistent violence that primarily affects ordinary citizens.
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