El Chapo Sons' Turf Is Being Invaded by El Mayo's Hitmen as They Battle for Control of Sinaloa Cartel
A video circulating on social media shows the hitmen of Sinaloa cartel boss Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada invading the territory of one of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's sons.
According to Daily Star, El Mayo's men were invading the territory of Ovidio Guzman Lopez as they fight for control of the Sinaloa Cartel.
In the footage, El Mayo's hitmen were seen arriving and setting up a checkpoint north of Culiacan in Sinaloa state, the home of El Chapo's children.
The outlet noted that the narco ballad "Comandante en Jefe," performed by the Tucanes de Tijuana group and inspired by El Mayo, could be heard in the background of the short clip. The incident seemed to confirm the split in the Sinaloa Cartel of which the two men are said to be the head.
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Feuds of Sinaloa Cartel Boss El Mayo and El Chapo's Sons
El Mayo and El Chapo's four sons, known as "Los Chapitos," were reportedly left in command of the Sinaloa Cartel after the drug kingpin was arrested and extradited in the U.S. However, reports suggested that there's an internal dispute for total control of the powerful criminal organization.
According to Milenio, the power Jesus Alexander Sanchez Felix wields within the Sinaloa Cartel angered Los Chapitos and caused the split. Sanchez Felix is considered El Mayo's chief operator.
The Los Chapitos - Ovidio Guzman Lopez, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, and Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar - is reportedly looking to assume supreme control of the Sinaloa Cartel and their father's former right-hand man, El Mayo, appears to be their internal enemy number one.
Reports said El Chapo's sons have also been at odds with their uncle, Aureliano "El Guano" Guzman. El Chapo's brother is also a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa Cartel.
The U.S. State Department has offered $5 million rewards for each of El Chapo's sons who are subject to a federal indictment for their involvement in the illegal drug trade.
The department noted that the brothers have "high-level command and control roles" in a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel and oversee roughly 11 labs in Sinaloa state that produce 3,000 to 5,000 pounds of meth a month.
U.S. officials have also added detail to the fugitive file of Ovidio Guzman Lopez. They said Ovidio has ordered the murders of informants, a rival drug trafficker, and a famous Mexican singer who refused to perform at his wedding.
Ovidio, Ivan, and Jesus were reportedly brought by their father into the Sinaloa Cartel's criminal operations when they were teenagers to learn the ins and outs of the organization, InsightCrime reported.
Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada and Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman of Sinaloa Cartel
El Mayo had been a huge topic during El Chapo's trial, with his defense attorneys claiming that the true leader of the Sinaloa Cartel was El Mayo, Insider reported.
The Sinaloa Cartel boss' lawyers said El Mayo, a longtime partner of El Chapo, has been working with both the Mexican and American governments. They noted that El Mayo was the one bribing officials to steer clear of the legal chaos.
Jeffrey Lichtman, El Chapo's lead lawyer, earlier said that the world is focusing on El Chapo when it should be on El Mayo.
Both El Chapo and El Mayo were among the people who established the Sinaloa Cartel from the remnants of the Guadalajara Cartel after its leader Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo was arrested in 1989.
The U.S. State Department said El Mayo also has wide real estate holdings and has invested in multiple businesses in Mexico. The department has already increased its offer from $5 million to $15 million for information that will result in the arrest of El Mayo.
A federal court found El Chapo guilty of drug trafficking, money laundering, murder conspiracy, and use of a gun in crimes involving drugs. He was sentenced to spend the rest of his days in the ADX Florence "supermax" prison after being sentenced to life imprisonment in 2019.
The Sinaloa Cartel is one of Mexico's largest and most powerful drug trafficking organizations. The Mexican drug cartel has been known to carry out assassinations, murders, and torture to protect its turf.
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Written by: Adrianna Grant