Mexican army reinforces security in state of Sinaloa following arrests of cartel leaders in US

The Mexican National Defense Ministry deployed 200 elite soldiers Friday to the northwestern state of Sinaloa to strengthen security following the arrest of the notorious leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, Ismael Zambada, in the US.

Media reports said the troops were deployed from Mexico's Special Forces Corps that are designed to deal with national security threats, anti-terrorism and hostage rescue tasks.

The deployment follows the capture of Zambada and the son of his former colleague, Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman, in the US state of Texas.

Criminal groups, especially the Sinaloa Cartel, have responded in the past with violence after the arrest of their prominent leaders, unleashing attacks against the population.

The Sinaloa Cartel launched attacks following the arrest of Ovidio Guzman, another one of Chapo's sons and a cartel leader, that led to 15 deaths and the release of Ovidio, which was ordered by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to prevent further violence.

In January 2023, Ovidio was again arrested and the cartel responded with shootings, car burnings and roadblocks, as well as fighting the military and police, resulting in 35 fatalities.

This time, however, Ovidio was extradited to the US where he remains imprisoned.

Zambada faces multiple criminal charges involving organized crime, money laundering and drug trafficking.

The Sinaloa Cartel is accused by the US of being the leading supplier of fentanyl, which kills 100,000 Americans annually.

Zambada reportedly pleaded non-guilty to the charges in a US federal court and will have his second hearing July 31.