So far this year, 91 cruise ships have arrived in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, according to figures from the state Tourism Secretariat. In other words, there are more than 357 thousand passengers who touch land at that port in the Mexican Pacific that, ironically, is anything but peaceful.
The war began in Culiacán, but in these almost four months of the clash between the two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, “Los Chapitos” and “La Mayiza,” the conflict spread to the southeast of the state due to the business that involved selling drugs to those tourists who get off the ships for a few hours and look to buy the product.
The vast majority of clients are Americans, followed by Europeans, who mainly ask for cocaine, to the point that sources define it as their breakfast, as the first meal of the day.
In the reports of the Mexican authorities, it is identified that in “times of peace” both groups sold their merchandise. There was the distribution of points, and equalization of prices while the business worked without setbacks.
In the 2024 report of the “National Evaluation of the Drug Threat in Mexico”, the DEA describes the Sinaloa Cartel as an “umbrella” type organization, meaning that the structure allows leaders to share resources such as routes, contacts in the government, access to chemical precursors and money laundering networks, without sharing the profits or having to answer to a head of the command, unlike, for example, the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel, where everything goes to the center.
But that “umbrella” was destroyed by a gale: the kidnapping and delivery of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada to the United States. He was the one who maintained that order. According to federal authorities, after the betrayal, his son, Ismael “El Mayito Flaco” ordered a cleanup in Mazatlán and control of the entire plaza, but this was combined with the same desire of Guzmán Loera’s sons.
There are obvious points of contention such as restaurants, clubs, and bars that are visited by the aforementioned tourists, but the reports highlight another: the places that have the so-called “Habichuelas”, the slot machines that are very popular in that area of the country.
The sources describe that Mazatlán should be seen as if it had the elongated and thin shape of Chile, the South American country, and that an appendix is growing out on the right side. It goes from the soccer stadium to the airport. That is the most dangerous area where most of the altercations between the two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel have occurred.
With information from El Universal
