Leader of El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel, 2 Narco Women Arrested in Mexico's Tourist Paradise of Quintana Roo

A police operation in Mexico's state of Quintana Roo has led to the arrest of one of the leaders of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera's infamous Sinaloa Cartel.

According to Borderland Beat, law enforcement officers have arrested Dani, the Sinaloa Cartel leader in charge of distributing drugs in Tulum, following a drug bust in the town.

Local officials said the military, elements of the National Guard, and the state police arrested a network of narcos from the Sinaloa Cartel in two simultaneous operations. Among them were two female cartel members.

Because of this, authorities said Dani's entire network of accomplices was already dismantled. The Daily Star reported that the State Attorney General's Office confirmed the arrests of Juan "E," alias Dani, Jarlinson "G," Jeymmi "C," Luis "S," Brandon "N," Regina "Y," and Maria "J."

Local officials said that packages of cocaine, crystal meth, methamphetamine, marijuana, an armored vehicle, and firearms were also seized.

Mexican Drug Cartel Wars in Mexico's Quintana Roo

Quintana Roo, a state on the Yucatán Peninsula, has some of Mexico's best-known tourist destinations. The state's town of Tulum offers seaside Mayan ruins, sandy beaches, and undersea caverns. Its resort city of Cancún is known for its long beaches with coral reefs.

But recently, the state has been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons: Mexican drug cartel wars have killed tourists and provoked a military deployment.

Quintana Roo has lost its status as a safe vacation spot following recent high-profile acts of violence, according to Global Risk Insights.

Last January, a lone gunman killed two Canadian visitors and injured another in the resort town of Playa del Carmen, an attack that security officials described as targeted and involving individuals with criminal records.

Two weeks prior, a California Instagram influencer and a German tourist were killed when caught in the crossfire of a drug gang shootout in Tulum.

In July, a Texas firefighter on vacation with his wife to celebrate their 10th anniversary was kidnapped and murdered at a resort in Cancún. In May, a U.S. tourist was wounded in a shooting attack that killed two men at a beach in Cancun.

In response to the violence, the Mexican government deployed almost 1,500 National Guard troops to Quintana Roo's Cancun city and surrounding beaches to provide security to the entire tourist area late last year.

However, many believe that the violence in the state is likely to worsen since military presence will do little to solve the root causes of the violence because it will only push the Mexican drug cartels' shootouts away from resorts.

Turf War Between El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco Cartel in Mexico's Quintana Roo

Cancun and the surrounding areas, also known as the Riviera Maya, have been traditionally viewed as safe havens from the violence that has ravaged much of Mexico in recent years. However, the recent string of violence in the state has vastly changed it.

There were reportedly three factors at play: COVID-19, the state's strategic position for drug trafficking, and the drug cartels fighting for control of territory.

The COVID-19 that shut down the rest of the world while Riviera Maya's cities remain open to international tourists increased the demand for illegal drugs in the state from desperate drug users and partygoers.

Quintana Roo has also been a stopover site for drug flights before heading to the U.S. or Europe. For this reason, Mexican drug cartels have been battling for control of the state.

The Sinaloa Cartel was fighting with the remnants of the Los Zetas Cartel, Gulf Cartel, and Jalisco cartel that appears to currently have more power in the state.

The Jalisco cartel or the Jalisco Cartel New Generation is currently the Sinaloa Cartel's main rival. The Jalisco cartel is being led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known by his alias "El Mencho," according to an InsightCrime report.

Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and El Chapo's four sons, known as "Los Chapitos," were reportedly left in command of the Sinaloa Cartel after El Chapo was arrested and extradited in the U.S.

The Jalisco cartel came out from the Sinaloa Cartel in 2010 after the death of former Sinaloa Cartel capo Ignacio Coronel, known as "Nacho," who was killed by Mexican security forces. Nacho's death resulted in the split into two factions - "La Resistencia" and "Torcidos" - of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The "Torcidos" became what is now the Jalisco cartel, which has since expanded rapidly in Mexico. The Jalisco New Generation Cartel or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) involves itself in many criminal activities, including international drug trafficking.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Adrianna Grant