19 Dead in Cartel Shootout,Notorious Cartel Leader Detained
A fierce gunfight in Mexico’s Sinaloa state has left 19 suspected cartel members dead, while authorities managed to capture a local cartel leader, intensifying the ongoing conflict between rival criminal factions.
The Mexican Defense Ministry confirmed the deadly shootout occurred on Monday, just 11 kilometers from the state capital, Culiacan, after more than 30 gunmen attacked soldiers.
Federal agents returned fire, causing several gunmen to flee the scene. The arrested individual was identified as Edwin Antonio “N,” a local leader linked to the Sinaloa Cartel faction headed by Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a notorious cartel figure.
Military personnel seized seven vehicles, machine guns, ammunition, and military-grade gear from the scene.
The violence follows the recent arrest of Zambada, who was apprehended in July and flown to the U.S. under mysterious circumstances, allegedly kidnapped by a rival faction before being handed over to U.S. authorities.
The veteran leader’s arrest has ignited an escalating turf war between Zambada’s faction and Los Chapitos, another powerful wing of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Security analysts suggest the growing tension between these factions has fueled a wave of brutal violence, leaving around 200 people dead and hundreds more missing since early September, further destabilizing the region.
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19 Dead in Cartel Shootout,Notorious Cartel Leader Detained