Ex-Sinaloa Cartel Operative Turned Influencer Reveals Details Of Sinaloa Cartel Before Civil War Erupted

A former Sinaloa cartel operative turned YouTube influencer told a Mexican journalist that Los Chapitos and La Mayiza — rival factions within the Sinaloa Cartel fighting for control in northern Mexico — had reached a peace agreement after Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada was captured by U.S. authorities last year.

The truce, however, was short-lived. Close associates of Ismael “Mayito Flaco” Zambada Sicairos — son of “El Mayo” and leader of La Mayiza — allegedly convinced him to retaliate and break the pact.

According to Camilo Ochoa — a former Sinaloa cartel member released from prison in 2022 who has since gained notoriety as a YouTube personality — the faction led by the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán held friendly talks with Zambada Sicairos shortly after his father was handed over to U.S. authorities last July.

In an interview with Mexican journalist José Luis Montenegro, Ochoa said his sources claimed that Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, the current leader of Los Chapitos, met with “Mayito Flaco” and the two agreed to “respect each other” and avoid targeting each other’s operations.

“From what I understand, there was a meeting between Iván and Mayito Flaco, and they agreed to respect each other. Iván said, ‘Well, you know what? The one who turned him in was my brother — it’s done — and he’s also behind bars now.’ They agreed to keep the peace,” Ochoa said.

But according to Ochoa’s sources, tensions escalated when close associates of Zambada Sicairos encouraged him to “get even” with Los Chapitos, effectively ending the peace agreement.

“They got in his head and started stirring up all the chaos,” Ochoa said. “They began provoking Los Chapitos so the government would intervene in Sinaloa and try to push them out,” he added.

During the interview, the former Sinaloa Cartel member turned YouTube influencer revealed that, in contrast to Los Chapitos’ tactics, La Mayiza has relied on violent attacks against civilians to assert its dominance in the region.

Ochoa claims that the faction led by Zambada Sicairos has used tactics such as deploying minors and immigrants in clashes with Los Chapitos, as well as setting businesses and shops on fire across several areas of Sinaloa and Durango.

“If you truly cared about your state, you wouldn’t burn businesses or harm sources of employment,” Ochoa said.

Nearly 1,200 people have died since turf wars erupted

According to data from the Mexican outlet Noroeste, authorities in Sinaloa have reported at least 1,185 homicides since violent clashes between two factions of the Sinaloa Cartel erupted on Sept. 9, 2024.

In the 33 weeks since the turf wars began, Sinaloa has averaged 5.1 homicides per day and 5.8 kidnappings every 24 hours.

So far this month, Sinaloa authorities have reported 129 homicides, including five on April 27. Additionally, volunteer groups dedicated to finding missing persons uncovered human remains in illegal burial sites, suggesting that up to 15 people may have been killed in the municipalities of El Mezquitillo and Guasave.