Mexican Cartel Hangs Narco Banners to Threaten FBI Director Kash Patel, U.S. Citizens To Be Targeted

Cartel gunmen in Mexico put up two banners addressed to FBI Director Kash Patel and other officials from the U.S. and Mexico, threatening U.S. citizens living in the Cabo San Lucas and San Jose areas. The threats point to the U.S. getting involved in the cartel’s turf war in Sinaloa and Baja California.

The banner first surfaced on Sunday in Baja California, where gunmen left two banners allegedly signed by Los Chapitos. The banners claim that starting on Sunday, they will be targeting U.S. citizens in Mexico in response to recent lab raids and weapons seizures.

The threats come as several states in Mexico are seeing high levels of violence tied to an ongoing turf war between Los Chapitos and the Mayiza faction of the Sinaloa Cartel. Both factions went to war following the capture of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada by Los Chapitos, who flew him to Texas to the waiting hands of U.S. authorities. That perceived betrayal has led to a fierce turf war that has been raging on for over 14 months and has led to thousands of murders and cartel kidnappings.

Both factions of the Sinaloa Cartel are considered Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the U.S. government following the designation made by the U.S. Department of State earlier this year.

The turf war spread to both Baja California and Baja California Sur, which are home to popular beach resort areas frequented by U.S. tourists. Most recently, the U.S Department of the Treasury issued a series of sanctions against Sinaloa Cartel members and various businesses in Baja California. One of those individuals sparked considerable controversy, as she was the former mayor of Rosarito and had since become a federal legislator.