Durango and Zacatecas went from a discourse of coordination on security matters to a public confrontation within a matter of days over the displacement of criminal groups from one territory to another, leading to serious accusations being exchanged.
The dispute began after the Rastrillo Operation was deployed in Zacatecas following the mass killing on July 18, in which 10 people were murdered, two of them from Durango.
With federal and state security forces deployed, Zacatecas authorities warned that members of criminal groups were retreating toward mountainous areas and may have taken refuge in Durango after the operations carried out in that state.
Against this backdrop, surveillance was reinforced along the border between the two states, with an Interagency Operations Base established on the Durango–Zacatecas highway.
Durango Governor Rejects the ‘Cockroach Effect’
Durango Governor Esteban Villegas publicly rejected the existence of official information confirming the entry of criminal groups from Zacatecas and challenged Zacatecas authorities to share any information they have regarding the movement of criminals into Durango through institutional channels rather than through public statements.
“Let them not drag us into this,” Villegas said, maintaining that Durango is calm.
‘If He Felt Dragged Into It, Then Let Him Clean Himself Up’: Zacatecas
Zacatecas raised the tone of the confrontation. During a press conference, Secretary General of Government Rodrigo Reyes Mugüerza rejected the idea that reporting on the movement of criminal groups amounted to blaming the Durango government and presented figures from the Zacatecas Prosecutor’s Office.
Seventy people from Durango have been arrested in that state during 2026, primarily for crimes related to drug dealing, organized crime, and possession of firearms for the exclusive use of the Army. In addition, one of the individuals arrested and charged in connection with the July 18 mass killing is from Durango.
In response to the Durango governor’s statements, the official said: “If he felt dragged into it, then let him clean himself up; he must have his reasons.”
Durango Accuses Official of a ‘Rude and Arrogant’ Tone
Durango Secretary General of Government Héctor Vela Valenzuela called for continued coordination between the two states, but criticized what he described as a “rude and arrogant” attitude by the Zacatecas official toward Governor Esteban Villegas.
He maintained that security cannot be reduced to identifying the place of origin of detained individuals, but instead requires coordination, information sharing, and joint actions to prevent criminal groups from having the ability to operate and move between states. He stressed that security problems do not recognize administrative borders and that government responses should not either.
Durango and Zacatecas: A Complicated Border
The dispute also has a territorial component. Los Cabrera Sarabia, a criminal group with roots in the mountains of Durango and ties to the Los Mayos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, maintains a presence in Zacatecas, particularly in municipalities such as Sombrerete, Fresnillo, Río Grande, and Juan Aldama, some of which are located along the corridor bordering Durango.
The presence of people from Durango has also emerged in recent investigations in Zacatecas. During the first days of the Rastrillo Operation, a man from Durango was arrested in Fresnillo, identified as a possible member of a cell linked to criminal activity in the region.
The confrontation between the two administrations remains unresolved, while security operations continue in Zacatecas and surveillance is reinforced in the border area with Durango. In both Durango and Zacatecas, the federal government has deployed hundreds of military personnel, and investigations remain ongoing.
Source: elfinanciero
