Mexico's aggressive 'kingpin strategy' aimed at dismantling drug cartels by targeting their leadership has led to a surge in violence, particularly in the state of Sinaloa. Since July 2024, following the arrest of cartel leader Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, homicides and femicides have spiked dramatically.
Key Takeaways
Mexico's 'kingpin strategy' to dismantle cartels by targeting leaders has led to increased violence and disappearances in Sinaloa. Since July 2024, homicides and femicides have surged, with over 5,800 people reported missing.
- Homicides in Sinaloa rose from 44 in August 2024 to 142 in September after cartel leader arrest
- Activists report over 5,800 disappearances since July 2024, likely undercounted
- Femicides surged by 135% from 2024 to 2025, with cartels using violence to assert control
- U.S. imposes visa restrictions on 75 people tied to the Sinaloa Cartel
- Critics argue targeting leaders fragments cartels and increases violence
According to activist Maria Isabel Cruz from Sabuesos Guerreras, a collective that searches for missing people in Culiacan, Sinaloa, there has been a troubling rise in disappearances. Homicides rose from 44 in August 2024 to 142 in September after Zambada's arrest, and the violence continued into the following year with 1,657 people killed in 2025. The number of disappearances has reached an estimated 5,800 since July 2024.
The U.S. State Department imposed visa restrictions on 75 individuals tied to the Sinaloa Cartel as part of a broader crackdown on drug trafficking. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that these actions aim to prevent entry into the U.S. and serve as a deterrent to continued illicit activities. The Trump administration has been particularly aggressive in its anti-narcotics campaign, designating 10 drug gangs and cartels, including the Sinaloa Cartel, as terrorist organizations.
Critics argue that targeting cartel leaders leads to fragmentation within the cartels, generating more violence as factions battle for power. Bernardo Leon Olea, a former security commissioner in Morelia, Michoacan, notes that this strategy does not dismantle the criminal organization but rather shifts the dynamics of control and extortion. Laura Atuesta, an economist who led the drug policy program at CIDE, believes that Mexico needs investment in areas outside the military to adequately check the cartels.
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