General information
Type of Incompatibility: Not applicable
Date of first battle related death: 2004-01-01
Date of conflict reached 25 battle releated deaths: 2004-10-10
Comment on conflict reached 25 battle releated deaths: The non-state conflict between the Gulf Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel is first included in UCDP data in 2004. In October of that year, clashes between the two cartels had resulted in more than 25 battle-related deaths.
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
2004
Primary Parties: Gulf Cartel - Sinaloa Cartel
Dimension: Non-State
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 106 |
| Best | 106 |
| Low | 106 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2005
Primary Parties: Gulf Cartel - Sinaloa Cartel
Dimension: Non-State
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 225 |
| Best | 204 |
| Low | 204 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2006
Primary Parties: Gulf Cartel - Sinaloa Cartel
Dimension: Non-State
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 793 |
| Best | 610 |
| Low | 610 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2007
Primary Parties: Gulf Cartel - Sinaloa Cartel
Dimension: Non-State
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 1675 |
| Best | 1488 |
| Low | 1481 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2008
Primary Parties: Gulf Cartel - Sinaloa Cartel
Dimension: Non-State
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 650 |
| Best | 635 |
| Low | 635 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2009
Primary Parties: Gulf Cartel - Sinaloa Cartel
Dimension: Non-State
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 1919 |
| Best | 1917 |
| Low | 1845 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2010
Primary Parties: Gulf Cartel - Sinaloa Cartel
Dimension: Non-State
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 79 |
| Best | 75 |
| Low | 75 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2012
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Non-State
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2013
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Non-State
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2018
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Non-State
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2019
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Non-State
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2020
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Non-State
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 6 |
| Best | 6 |
| Low | 6 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2021
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Non-State
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 1 |
| Best | 1 |
| Low | 1 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2022
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Non-State
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 15 |
| Best | 15 |
| Low | 15 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2023
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: Non-State
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 6 |
| Best | 6 |
| Low | 6 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
Conflict Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
2004 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: After increasing tensions between the Gulf Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel in 2003 a turf war broke out in Nuevo Laredo town, Tamaulipas state, between the two cartels in 2004. More than 80 people were killed in Nuevo Laredo during the year, most of them in execution-style killings and often with threatening messages towards the other group's leader attached to them.
The conflict between the two groups also spread to the coast resorts of Acapulco and Cancun in 2004. Both of the cartels used armed wings to fight each other, the Gulf Cartel hired Los Zetas and the Sinaloa Cartel hired Los Negros.
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2005 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: The Gulf Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel continued to fight for the control of the strategical border town Nuevo Laredo in 2005. The town offers excellent opportunities for drug trafficking into Texas and the United States. Around 160 people was killed in Nuevo Laredo alone in 2005.
At this point in time the Gulf Cartel started to accuse the Mexican government of supporting the Sinaloa Cartel, an accusation that was repeatedly displayed on written messages alongside dumped bodies. Drug-related violence between these two cartels also took place in Michoacán and Guerrero states in 2005.
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2006 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: Fighting between the Gulf Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel increased in 2006. The two groups continued to clash in Nuevo Laredo town on the U.S. border, but violence also spread to other parts of the country. For instance in Acapulco on the southwestern coast of Mexico where drug related violence rose in 2006. The clashes between the Gulf Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel stood for the main part of deaths in drug-related violence in Mexico in 2006.
Both the Gulf Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel used enforcement gangs during the year, Los Zetas, the armed wing of the Gulf Cartel, and Los Pelones which fought for the Sinaloa Cartel. Both groups were often heavily armed with assault rifles such as AK-47s and used grenades in some clashes. The beheading of members from the other cartel was a phenomenon that started in 2006.
In late 2006 the Mexican President Calderon deployed more than 6 500 soldiers to fight drug trafficking and the cartels. This has generally been considered as the initiation of the Mexican Government's war on drugs.
Comment on Yearly Battle Related Deaths: Although more than 2100 people were killed in drug-related violence in 2006, the majority of events are not possible to ascribe to a specific group. Information is shady and police are frequently involved in the cartels and their operations. The deaths are therefore only calculated from the clashes and attacks where the actors can be identified. These numbers are the absolute minimum of deaths in the dyad during the year, but the numbers are likely to be higher.
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2007 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: Clashes between the Gulf Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel spread geographically in 2007 towards the southern and western parts of Mexico. Several states and municipalities that previously had not been affected by the fighting between the two cartels now came to experience higher numbers of drug-related violence, such as the Sinaloa state or the Monterrey area in Nuevo León state.
In addition to regular shootouts and execution styled killings the Gulf Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel tortured and dismembered people from the opposing group. Videos of such torture and beheadings started to be circulated on the internet during 2007.
Comment on Yearly Battle Related Deaths: Although more than 2800 people were killed in drug-related violence in 2007, the majority of events are not possible to ascribe to a specific group. Information is shady and police are frequently involved in the cartels and their operations. The deaths are therefore only calculated from the clashes and attacks where the actors can be identified. These numbers are the absolute minimum of deaths in the dyad during the year, but the numbers are likely to be much higher.
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2008 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: Violence in 2008 consisted of shootouts between the groups as well as executions and bodies turning up at different locations, often with messages to the groups leaders attached to them. The Sinaloa cartel was also struggling with internal fighting during the year as the Beltran Leyva brothers broke with Guzman as a result of Guzman’s suspected involvement in the capture of Alfredo Beltran Leyva in January. Heavy fighting erupted between the two factions after the Beltran Leyva gang killed Guzman’s son in Culiacan, Sinaloa on May 8th 2008. Rumours indicate that the Beltran Leyva brothers were cooperating with the Gulf cartel after the break with the Sinaloa cartel.
Comment on Yearly Battle Related Deaths: Although more than 6000 people were killed in drug-related violence in 2008, the majority of events are not possible to ascribe to a specific group. Information is shady and police are frequently involved in the cartels and their operations. The deaths are therefore only calculated from the clashes and attacks where the actors can be clearly identified. These numbers are the absolute minimum of deaths in the dyad during the year, but the numbers are likely to be much higher. For example, in Sinaloa state alone, 600 people were killed in drug-related violence during the first seven months of the year.
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2009 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: In 2009, much of the fighting between the Sinaloa cartel and the Gulf cartel was carried out by La Familia and the Beltran Leyva gang, affiliated to the cartels. The Beltran Leyva brothers used to be members of the Sinaloa cartel but broke with Sinaloa leader Guzman in 2008. In 2009, they joined the Gulf cartel and started fighting its previous allies. During the year, Arturo Beltran Leyva, the leader of the Beltran Leyva gang, grew in importance. He started to call himself, el jefe des jefes, the boss of the bosses and numerous bodies with messages signed by el jefe des jefes attached to them, showed up in areas controlled by the Gulf and Sinaloa cartels. However, in December 2009, Arturo Beltran Leyva was captured and killed by the Mexican armed forces.
Some of the fighting between the cartels also took place inside jails, for example in August when 20 people were killed in a prison in Durango state.
Comment on Yearly Battle Related Deaths: Although more than 7700 people were killed in drug-related violence in 2009, the majority of events are not possible to ascribe to a specific group. Information is shady and police are frequently involved in the cartels and their operations. The deaths are therefore only calculated from the clashes and attacks where the actors can be clearly identified. These numbers are the absolute minimum of deaths in the dyad during the year, but the numbers are likely to be much higher. For example, at least 2336 people were killed in drug-related violence in Guerrero, Durango and Sinaloa states, in 2009. Most of the fighting in these states are connected to the turf war between the Gulf cartel and the Sinaloa cartel.
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2010 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: Violence in 2010 consisted of shootouts between the groups as well as executions and bodies turning up at different locations, often with so-called narco-messages attached to them. Some of the fighting between the cartels also took place inside jails, for example in January when 24 people were killed in a prison in Durango State.
In mid-2010, violence between the groups subsided as they allied against an alliance of their enemies made up of the Juarez Cartel, the Tijuana Cartel, the Gulf Cartels former armed wing Los Zetas and the Beltran Leyva Cartel, formerly part of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Comment on Yearly Battle Related Deaths: Although more than 11 000 people were killed in drug-related violence in 2010, the majority of events are not possible to ascribe to a specific group. Information is shady and police are frequently involved in the cartels and their operations. The deaths are therefore only calculated from the clashes and attacks where the actors can be clearly identified. These numbers are the absolute minimum of deaths in the dyad during the year, but the numbers are likely to be much higher.
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2012 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2013 Conflict Archive
Victory: NO
Terminated: NO
2018 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2019 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2020 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2021 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2022 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2023 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
