Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

Mexico has confirmed the deaths of multiple suspected cartel members following a military raid in Sinaloa that resulted in the capture of a key cartel leader.

Getting into it: In an announcement, Mexico’s navy said its forces carried out a targeted operation in Culiacán aimed at apprehending Omar Oswaldo Torres, known as “El Patas,” a senior figure within the Los Mayos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. According to officials, troops were met with gunfire shortly after arriving at the location, leading to an exchange that left 11 suspected gunmen dead.

The operation ultimately resulted in Torres’s capture, marking a significant blow to the Los Mayos faction amid its ongoing conflict with rival groups. Officials also found a woman believed to be Torres’s daughter at the scene, but she was later released after authorities determined she was not tied to any criminal activity.

This strike forms part of a broader security crackdown being intensified under President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has faced mounting pressure from the US to deliver tangible results against organized crime. Mexican forces have ramped up high-impact operations targeting cartel leadership. Just weeks earlier, Mexican forces killed Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” the powerful leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. In addition, Mexico has extradited or handed over hundreds of high-profile cartel figures to the US for prosecution.

Despite this, these intensified crackdowns are already prompting shifts within cartel operations. Intelligence reports indicate that drug cartels are adapting by breaking shipments into smaller loads and shifting routes to avoid detection.