Sinaloa cartel war fuels ongoing fentanyl flow to the US, DEA urges Mexico to join anti‑cartel coalition

An internal conflict between the Los Mayos and Los Chapitos factions of the Sinaloa cartel erupted after the 2024 U.S. capture of drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. The fighting has killed more than 3,000 people and prompted the Mexican government to deploy up to 15,000 federal troops, shifting violence to rural areas while many towns remain under criminal control.

Despite the bloodshed, a report by the International Crisis Group finds that fentanyl shipments to the United States have not slowed. Prices and availability stay stable – a dose sells for roughly 50 pesos (about $3) – and the market continues to meet American demand.

Separately, former DEA interim director Derek Maltz used social media and interviews to call on President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government to join a U.S.-led “Coalition Against Cartels” (also dubbed the “Shield of the Americas”) and to seek American military assistance in dismantling the drug networks.

The combined developments underscore a persistent drug‑trafficking threat that spans Mexico and the United States, even as the two governments explore deeper security cooperation.