AFP: Drone attacks strike hometown of drug lord "El Chapo" in Mexico

The birthplace of jailed drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán—the rural municipality of Badiraguato in Mexico’s northwest state of Sinaloa—has suffered attacks involving explosive‑laden drones, state governor Rubén Rocha Moya confirmed.

“Drones were indeed used,” Rocha commented, adding that dozens of displaced residents are being assisted by the government, Caliber.Az reports, citing AFP.

Authorities did not specify when precisely the strikes occurred, but local residents say the attacks began in September.

Badiraguato is the hometown of Guzmán and a historic stronghold for drug‑trafficking activity in Mexico.

Displaced residents say the recent drone strikes targeted a farm known as La Tuna, owned by Guzmán’s family, and other properties in the region. Armed gangs also threatened more than 80 families, cut off electricity and blocked access to farms.

According to one resident of the village of Bacacoragua in Badiraguato municipality, the attacks started on September 16, and she left her village in early October. Scenes of forced displacement have unfolded: “We had to leave,” one witness said.

Criminal groups in Mexico have increasingly used drones to attack rivals and authorities — the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), for one, has reportedly employed drones since 2020.

The governor said the displaced residents are now under government care, while operations in the region attempt to secure the area and gather further evidence.

Guzmán, who was sentenced in 2019 to life plus 30 years in prison, remains a potent symbol of the narcotics trajectory in Sinaloa and beyond.

By Aghakazim Guliyev