At least 11 killed in Sinaloa raid targeting cartel faction leader

The Chronify

March 20, 2026

At least 11 suspected gunmen were killed during a security operation in the northern Mexican state of Sinaloa that led to the capture of Omar Oswaldo Torres, also known as “El Patas”, a leader of the Los Mayos faction of the Sinaloa cartel, authorities said on Thursday. Mexican navy officials said the raid took place in Culiacan and began after security forces came under attack at a property linked to the group.

According to the navy, troops returned fire after being attacked and killed 11 alleged assailants at the scene. Officials said the dead had not yet been publicly identified. The operation also led to the seizure of high powered firearms and tactical equipment, while a woman identified by officials as the daughter of a crime figure was found during the raid and later released after authorities said they found no evidence linking her to criminal activity.

Torres is described by authorities as a senior figure in Los Mayos, one of the two main factions battling for influence inside the Sinaloa cartel. The other camp, Los Chapitos, is tied to the sons of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman. The split between the two factions deepened after the arrest of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in the United States in July 2024, and the rivalry has fueled a sharp rise in violence across Sinaloa, especially in and around Culiacan.

The latest raid comes less than a month after another major military operation in Mexico killed Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho”, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. That earlier operation triggered retaliatory roadblocks, vehicle burnings and attacks in several states, underlining the risk that high profile cartel arrests or killings can spark fresh violence rather than quickly restore order.

Mexico’s government has increasingly relied on military force against organised crime groups, but analysts and critics have long warned that removing cartel leaders can fragment criminal structures and deepen conflict on the ground. In Sinaloa, the struggle between rival factions has already left hundreds dead and many more missing, turning the state into one of the country’s most unstable security flashpoints.