US Not Liable for Violence in Mexico’s Sinaloa State, According to Ambassador

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The U.S. ambassador to Mexico has dismissed President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s assertions that the U.S. shares responsibility for the violence in Sinaloa, where over 50 individuals have died in a recent intra-cartel conflict.

Since September 9, two competing factions of the Sinaloa Cartel have been engaged in violent clashes. The origins of this conflict are linked to the recent arrest of the notorious trafficker Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada on U.S. soil on July 25.

Zambada has claimed that he was kidnapped in Mexico and transported to the U.S. by Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a leader of a rival faction within the cartels who was reportedly in negotiations with U.S. authorities about surrendering.

This situation has led to heightened tensions between the neighboring countries, with Mexico seeking further information on the matter. The ongoing violence in Sinaloa has resulted in at least 53 fatalities and left 51 individuals unaccounted for, disrupting daily life in multiple towns and cities.

On Thursday, Lopez Obrador stated that the U.S. bore some responsibility for the violence due to its previous negotiations with Guzman.

U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar, who had earlier refuted claims of U.S. involvement in Zambada’s alleged kidnapping, countered the Mexican president’s claims. He emphasized in a press conference in Chihuahua that the events in Sinaloa should not be attributed to the U.S. and stated that the U.S. cannot be held accountable for the “massacres” witnessed in various regions.

Salazar also communicated to incoming Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum the necessity for a “strong and deep” cooperation between the two nations to effectively address security challenges.

In a response to the escalated violence, Mexican authorities announced the deployment of an additional 600 soldiers to Sinaloa to enhance security efforts.