Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has assigned primary responsibility for the escalating violence and insecurity in Sinaloa to the United States, pointing to foreign interference and unilateral enforcement operations.
Speaking in Sinaloa as part of her Second State of the Nation tour, Sheinbaum argued that intervention by foreign law enforcement agencies and policies that favored one cartel faction over another directly fueled the recent spike in homicides across the region.
Addressing the arrest of high-profile cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, Sheinbaum emphasized that his detention severely intensified internal warfare within the Sinaloa Cartel. While Washington’s involvement in the operation has been widely reported, Mexican officials allege the operation was conducted without proper bilateral coordination.
Sheinbaum added that the current security crisis extends beyond local governance, driven instead by broader external factors and structural fractures.
Concluding her remarks, the Mexican government reiterated that any future counter-narcotics cooperation with Washington must adhere strictly to established legal frameworks and respect national sovereignty.
