LOS CABOS, BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO — A violent faction of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel has issued direct threats against American citizens, warning of targeted killings in popular tourist destinations across Mexico.

The threats were publicly delivered through narcomantas—large banners commonly used by cartels to issue warnings or declarations—displayed in the Los Cabos resort corridor between Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo.

The messages were signed by “La Chapiza,” an armed faction loyal to the sons of imprisoned drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.

According to the statements, the group vowed retaliation against U.S. law enforcement operations targeting the cartel’s drug and human trafficking networks.

The banners accused American and Mexican authorities of “meddling” in cartel affairs and directly threatened to “eliminate every American citizen residing in areas where we have a presence.”

The warning follows a series of joint U.S.–Mexico counter-narcotics operations, including raids on cartel strongholds in the Sierra de Badiraguato mountains of Sinaloa—long considered the heart of cartel activity.

The operations reportedly dismantled key fentanyl laboratories and weapons stockpiles belonging to the organization.

In their messages, cartel members named several officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel, DEA Administrator Terry Cole, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, and Security Chief Omar García Harfuch, accusing them of overreach and warning that the cartel “runs things here.”

Sources indicate that the threats appear to be an escalation in the ongoing power struggle between La Chapiza and rival Sinaloa faction La Mayiza, though U.S. citizens have now been invoked as leverage amid the conflict.

Authorities in both the United States and Mexico are assessing the credibility of the threats. U.S. intelligence officials have described the situation as “highly concerning,” noting the large number of American residents and tourists—estimated at more than 1.6 million annually—who travel or live in Mexico.

The situation underscores broader security risks across Mexico’s most visited regions:

Cancún and the Riviera Maya (Quintana Roo): Increasing incidents of cartel-linked shootings and kidnappings tied to drug route control and extortion rackets.

Tijuana (Baja California): A key front in the fentanyl trafficking war, where cross-border violence and abductions remain common.

Los Cabos (Baja California Sur): Once marketed as a safe haven for tourists and retirees, the area has seen rising homicide rates and is now at the center of direct cartel threats against Americans.

Officials urge travelers to exercise extreme caution, remain informed of local security developments, and follow guidance from the U.S. State Department, which continues to monitor the situation closely.