Mexican president blames US for bloodshed in Sinaloa as cartel violence increases

When asked whether the US government was “partly responsible” for the violence in Sinaloa, the president replied at his morning briefing: “Yes, of course … for carrying out this operation.”

The recent surge in cartel wars had been expected after Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, landed in a small plane with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada near El Paso, Texas, on July 25.

Zambada was the oldest and most reclusive leader of the cartel. After his arrest, he stated in a letter distributed by his lawyer that he had been kidnapped by the younger Guzmán and brought to the United States against his will.

On Thursday afternoon, another military operation hit the north of Culiacán with military and regional helicopters.

In Culiacán, traffic was heavy and most schools were open, although parents still weren't sending their children to class. Shops still close early and few people venture out after dark. While the city slowly reopens and soldiers patrol the streets, many families remain in hiding as parents and teachers fear being caught in the crossfire.

“Where is the safety for our children, for ourselves, for all citizens? It is so dangerous here that you don't want to go out,” a mother from Culiacán told the Associated Press.

The mother, who did not want to give her name for fear of the cartels, said that although some schools had recently reopened, she had not allowed her daughter to go there for two weeks. She said she was frightened when armed men stopped a taxi they were travelling in on their way home and terrified her child.

During his morning press conference, López Obrador claimed that American authorities had “carried out this operation” to arrest Zambada. “It was totally illegal and agents from the Department of Justice were waiting for Mr. Mayo.”

“If we are now facing instability and clashes in Sinaloa, it is because they (the American government) made that decision,” he said.

He added that “there can be no cooperative relationship when they make unilateral decisions” like this one. Mexican prosecutors have said they are considering filing treason charges against those involved in the plan to capture Zambada.

President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum echoed this sentiment, saying later in the day, “We can never accept that there is no communication or cooperation.”

It is the latest escalation of tensions in relations between the United States and Mexico. Last month, the Mexican president said he would “put on hold” relations with the U.S. and Canadian embassies after ambassadors criticized his controversial plan to reform the Mexican judicial system and require all judges to run for office.

Still, Zambada's arrest has fueled criticism of López Obrador, who has refused to confront the cartels throughout his term in office, pursuing a strategy he calls “hugs instead of bullets.” On previous occasions, he has falsely claimed that the cartels respect Mexican citizens and mostly fight among themselves.

Although the president, who leaves office at the end of the month, has promised his plan will reduce cartel violence, such clashes remain a plague in Mexico. The cartels are using an increasingly wide range of tactics, including roadside bombs or IEDs, trenches, homemade armored vehicles and drones that drop bombs.

Last week, López Obrador publicly called on the warring factions in the Sinaloa conflict to act “responsibly” and stressed that he believed the cartels would listen to him.

But the bloodshed continued.