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US News

Sinaloa Cartel leaders permit members to shoot at US Border Patrol agents: report

By
Caitlin McCormack
Published Oct. 21, 2024, 1:03 a.m. ET

Border Patrol agents in western Texas were warned they may come under cartel gunfire as Sinaloa Cartel leaders permit members to shoot at the US officers after its cofounder’s July arrest, according to an internal memo.

The cartels have historically held off on violent encounters with United States-based law enforcement for fear of insurmountable backlash. But the arrest of cofounder Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán López, the son of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, on July 25 has loosened these creeds, especially among younger members.

Aerial view of the U.S.-Mexico border, with American and Mexican flags flying over the Rio Grande, city in the background
Aerial view of the U.S.-Mexico border, with American and Mexican flags flying over the Rio Grande, city in the background. Getty Images

An internal memo obtained by NewsNation warning against the new shooting threat was sent out to federal agents along the El Paso sector of Texas. It came after contractors working on a ranch in Eagle Pass, Texas, reported being fired at through the border fence on Oct. 15.

“They fear no one anymore, especially US law enforcement,” former Homeland Security Investigation agent Victor Avila told the outlet.

“They do have the resources and they do have the capability, and they will use them against us.”

Last year, under El Chapo’s rule, the Sinaloa Cartel barred its production of fentanyl under the strict penalty of death. The order came from his sons, including the one who was arrested in July, after allegedly betraying Zambada and coercing him onto a plane to the United States.

U.S. Border Patrol agents taking a group of asylum seekers into custody at a remote area of the U.S.-Mexico border near Jacumba Hot Springs, California
U.S. Border Patrol agents taking a group of asylum seekers into custody at a remote area of the U.S.-Mexico border near Jacumba Hot Springs, California. Getty Images

As the cartel’s leadership continues to fracture, infighting between factions has only escalated. In the Mexican province of Sinaloa, more than 190 have been killed as violence continues to spiral.

The cartels have reportedly set up blockades throughout Culiacán, the largest city in Sinaloa where it is based. At the checkpoints, drivers are approached at gunpoint as cartel members search through their phones.

Those with rival cartel contacts are often hurt or killed. Anyone who has texted the wrong phrase, or sent a picture of someone they shouldn’t have can face similar punishment.

Texas Army National Guard member patrolling the Rio Grande from atop shipping containers in Eagle Pass, Texas
Texas Army National Guard member patrolling the Rio Grande from atop shipping containers in Eagle Pass, Texas. AP

In September, cartel fighters kidnapped a Culiacán crime reporter along with his two friends after they stopped their vehicle and searched their cellphones.

David Martínez, the 20-year-old reporter, was released hours later, but his two friends were beaten to death and their bodies abandoned under a bridge.

“Far from predicting a quick conclusion to this conflict, as the days go by it is observed that public security, respect for human rights, productive activities, the economy and socio-emotional health are decomposing more and more,” State Council on Public Safety general coordinator, Miguel Calderón told the Mazatlan Post.

“Little by little, day by day, people live in fear, schools are empty, young people are disappearing, the streets are empty at night,” he added.