Two narco-banners appeared on Wednesday, August 12, in different parts of Tepic, Nayarit, revealing an apparent challenge between two criminal organizations: one attributed to La Mayiza, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel that also identifies itself with the initials MZ (Mayo Zambada); and another signed by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
What did the messages say?
The first banner was found during the early hours of the morning in San Cayetano, a rural area located along Federal Highway 15, one of the main routes between Nayarit and Jalisco. The message allegedly announced the arrival of the Sinaloa-based group in the state of Nayarit.
“A los que la deben, ya llegaron los MZ y los que quieran entrar al equipo serán bienvenidos y que aiga paz para los trabajadores y para todas las personas de NAYARIT” (SIC).
Hours later, the CJNG responded with another banner hung from the Los Lobos bridge, warning: “Nayarit tiene dueño y se respeta. Aquí entran por la Verg*. Atte: CJNG”.
The placement of both narco-banners was documented in at least two different videos, one for each group, which circulated on social media and showed the exact moment when the messages were installed.
What did the authorities say?
Initially, Governor Miguel Ángel Navarro Quintero denied the existence of physical evidence of the banners and suggested that the material circulating could have been artificially created. Navarro Quintero stated that there was no confirmation that any criminal group had arrived to establish itself in Nayarit, and that any information of this nature is immediately addressed and investigated.
The state governor maintained that the institutional response is based on operational work, prevention, and enforcement of the law. He acknowledged that criminal groups are active in different areas of the state.
He also reported that operations had recently been deployed in the northern part of the state, where cases of people being deprived of their liberty had been reported, and that actions had also been carried out against the group known as the Four Letters.
Later, the Nayarit Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection stated in a press release that security institutions at the three levels of government had immediately responded to reports concerning the placement of messages at different locations in Tepic, and that authorities maintain permanent coordination to preserve the security and peace of Nayarit families.
The agency stated that the institutions neither validate nor disseminate messages attributed to criminal groups, and that the institutional response is and will continue to be operational work, prevention, and enforcement of the law. It urged citizens to remain calm.
CJNG and La Mayiza: a dispute already spreading to other states
The challenge between the two groups in Tepic is not an isolated incident. The confrontation between the CJNG and La Mayiza is part of a territorial dispute already taking place in other states across the country, particularly in Sinaloa and Zacatecas.
Following the capture of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in July 2024, the Sinaloa Cartel fractured into two main factions: Los Chapitos, led by the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, and La Mayiza, headed by Ismael Zambada Sicairos, alias “El Mayito Flaco.” The conflict between the two factions resulted in a reconfiguration of alliances at the national level.
As La Mayiza expanded its influence, Los Chapitos sought support from the CJNG, previously considered an enemy. The alliance sought to form a common front to contain La Mayiza and its allies, including the Cabrera Sarabia brothers and the Beltrán Leyva Cartel.
In Zacatecas, La Mayiza and the CJNG are disputing at least two strategic drug-trafficking routes toward the northern border: the route running from Mazatlán-Durango through Fresnillo to Nuevo Laredo, and the route crossing through Huejúcar-Tepetongo and Malpaso toward the same border.
Source: infobae
