Podcast Episode Details

Sinaloa’s Hidden Mastermind: The Rise and Fall of Nacho Coronel (Part 2) (3/28/25)

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The death of Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel Villarreal on July 29, 2010, marked a turning point for the Sinaloa Cartel, disrupting its internal power balance and accelerating violent fragmentation within Mexico’s criminal underworld. As one of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán’s top lieutenants, Coronel controlled the cartel’s operations in Jalisco, Nayarit, and Colima, overseeing a vast methamphetamine empire. His ability to manage drug production and distribution with relative discretion made him a stabilizing force within the cartel. However, his death in a military raid by the Mexican Army in Zapopan, Jalisco, not only left a power vacuum but also led to infighting between his former subordinates and rival factions within Sinaloa. This significantly weakened the cartel’s hold over western Mexico, allowing rival groups like Los Zetas and the CJNG (Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación) to gain ground.

Following Coronel’s death, his territorial stronghold in Jalisco became a battleground, leading to the rise of the CJNG, which was originally an offshoot of the Sinaloa Cartel’s Milenio Cartel faction. Without Coronel’s control, El Mencho (Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes) capitalized on the chaos, consolidating power and transforming CJNG into one of the most violent and powerful cartels in Mexico. The power shift also forced the Sinaloa Cartel to reorganize its leadership, with El Chapo and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada struggling to maintain unity as factions like the Beltrán Leyva Organization and Los Ántrax began to challenge their dominance. In the long run, Coronel’s death accelerated cartel fragmentation, escalated violence across Mexico, and contributed to the ongoing Sinaloa vs. CJNG war, a conflict that continues to reshape Mexico’s criminal landscape to this day.



to contact me:

bobbycapucci@protonmail.com



source:

Ciudad Juarez: Ignacio Coronel and What Happens After a Drug Lord is Killed - The Awl

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Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago