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Heirs to one of Mexico’s most infamous crime families, the Chapitos are the sons of Sinaloa Cartel ([link removed]) co-founder Joaquín Guzmán Loera, alias “El Chapo.” ([link removed])

The family has long held huge sway in Sinaloan communities, at times acting as a parallel government. For decades, it acted as a benefactor, buying up heroin poppy and marijuana plants cultivated on clandestine patches around the state and employing locals in the drug trade, which is now hyper-focused on synthetics like fentanyl and methamphetamine. Despite the threat of violence, people came to respect their criminal authority. Hundreds even protested El Chapo’s arrest in 2016.

But as power shifted to the Chapitos following El Chapo’s extradition, that dynamic changed.

A new crime war between the Chapitos and the rival Mayiza ([link removed]) , controlled by the sons of Sinaloa cartel founder Ismael “El Mayo” ([link removed]) Zambada, is now ravaging those same communities.

Read about the criminal legacies of these brothers and bosses, and how they are reshaping Mexico’s criminal landscape.

The Chapitos: Bloodlines and Battlefields in Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel ([link removed])
Read the story ([link removed])

This exclusive profile includes:
* A mini series exploring how the violent rift dividing the infamous crime group is impacting communities
* Expert analysis on the future of what has long been one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal networks
* Narrated stories on the latest developments in the Sinaloa Cartel’s internal war


And don’t miss our other criminal profiles from Summer InSights 2025. ([link removed])
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WEEK 1 | Fito: The Rise and Fall of Ecuador’s Most Wanted Crime Boss ([link removed])

Read full profile ([link removed])
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WEEK 2 | The Prison Kingpin Who Took Tren de Aragua Transnational” ([link removed])

Read full profile ([link removed])
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WEEK 3 | Chiquito Malo: Warlord of Colombia’s AGC Crime Conglomerate ([link removed])

Read full profile ([link removed])


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