Two Los Chapitos Faction Members Arrested in Mazatlán with Drugs and Assault Rifles

Two individuals linked to the Los Chapitos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel were arrested by Mexican security forces in Mazatlán, Sinaloa on April 19, 2026. The operation yielded seizures of drug quantities and assault rifles, continuing the pattern of security force interdiction operations in the Pacific coast tourist city. Mazatlán has seen a 227% surge in homicides since the Sinaloa civil war began, as Chapitos fighters attempt to maintain operational footholds in the contested city while La Mayiza has pushed to take over the lucrative Mazatlán criminal plaza. The April 19 arrests follow the April 10 deployment of 1,190 troops to the southern Sinaloa corridor (Escuinapa, Rosario, Concordia) which has displaced some cartel activity northward toward Mazatlán.