Drug war in Culiacan affects children: 30 children have been killed in Sinaloa

At least 30 children have been killed since September 9, when the Sinaloa Cartel's fight began in the northern state, the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), Omar García Harfuch , reported on Tuesday, February 25.

In the state, since last September, more than 800 people have been murdered in general.

"The Sinaloa society should also know that the deaths suffered by these minors have been caused by these criminal groups ," the head of federal Public Security responded to a direct question during the daily press conference of the Government.

The government attributes the phenomenon to the struggle between the factions of Los Chapitos and Los Mayitos after the capture on July 25 in the United States of Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada , co-founder of the cartel, betrayed by Joaquín Guzmán López, one of the sons of Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, who put him on a plane to hand him over.

The most emblematic case has been that of brothers Gael and Alexander, aged 9 and 12 respectively, murdered along with their father on Sunday, January 19, which sparked massive protests demanding the resignation of the governor of Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya, who belongs to the National Regeneration Movement (Morena).

García Harfuch said that since Claudia Sheinbaum's presidency began on October 1, the government has deployed the National Guard in schools , where "there has not been a single violent incident."

"What has the authorities done? They have made constant reinforcements in the state of Sinaloa, weakened the criminal structures, as has been reported, so that these events do not occur. By reducing homicides in the state of Sinaloa, obviously, the homicides of minors will also decrease," he said.

The secretary stated that the Sheinbaum government has arrested 899 people related to the conflict, which has "weakened" both factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The case of the brothers Gael and Alexander became the most emblematic, since drug violence has also reached the children of Sinaloa.

The father, Antonio de Jesus, was traveling with his two children in a car on Agricultores Avenue in eastern Culiacan. During an attempt to steal the vehicle, they were shot. The father died at the scene. The child Gael was injured and died in the hospital. Alexander died days later.

On January 23, there were protests demanding the resignation of Rubén Rocha. The protesters reached the third floor of the governor's office and broke glass doors in the offices. A few days earlier, Rocha had stated that in Sinaloa "you can live perfectly well," despite the constant clashes that have occurred since September 2024.