By SWJ Staff Small Wars Journal
Bloodbath cartel violence worse than ever in Mexico with beheaded bodies hanging from bridges, mass shootings and a ‘extermination camps’ with ovens for disposing of the dead By KEVIN ADJEI-DARKO for the Daily Mail.
Recent events reveal an escalation in Mexican cartel operational methodologies. There are now unprecedented levels of violence focused on removing rivals and sending a clear message to anyone trying to encroach on cartel territory. On June 30, a significant event in Culiacán, Sinaloa illustrated this escalation. Twenty corpses were discovered, including four beheaded individuals suspended from a highway overpass, with their heads strategically placed in black bags. The remaining sixteen victims were systematically executed with precision close-range head shots. “Investigators believe the killings were part of an internal war within the Sinaloa Cartel, between the sons of El Chapo, known as Los Chapitos, and the rival La Mayiza faction.” This demonstrates a calculated approach to inter-organizational conflict.
Forensic investigations have uncovered infrastructure for eliminating human beings, most notably the Izaguirre ranch in Jalisco. This site, controlled by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), contained three massive crematory ovens and a haunting collection of 200 pairs of shoes, personal belongings, and children’s toys. Experts assess these findings as evidence of a methodological approach to victim elimination, with individuals potentially kidnapped, tortured, and cremated to eradicate forensic evidence.
The internal fracturing of major criminal networks has intensified cartel dynamics. The Sinaloa Cartel’s internal power struggle, triggered by El Chapo’s 2016 arrest, has resulted in over 2,000 reported murders and disappearances. Public displays of violence have become increasingly brazen, including a mass shooting at a religious festival in Irapuato, where eleven individuals were killed and twenty wounded. There is a clear, strategic approach to public intimidation.
Quantitative analysis illustrates the systemic nature of this violence. Mexico’s 2023 homicide count exceeded 30,000, with 110,000 active missing persons cases. CJNG, led by Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes, is a particularly violent criminal network that contributes to these statistics. They utilize military-style tactics to control critical Pacific coastal drug routes and intimidate anyone who seeks to get in their way.
The strategic implications of this increase in violence are not limited to immediate criminal activities. They threaten regional security and reveal details about the intricate dynamics of transnational criminal networks.
Read the full article for a deeper dive into this escalation of violence by Mexican cartels.
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