Culiacán has been for years the bastion of Sinaloa Cartelbut recently it is one of the places of operation of the faction of The Chapitosled by the children of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmanwhose vital part of its operation are the pointers, 700 young people who watch over the city.
“A pointer is a person who watches over an area for a criminal group in Sinaloa, in other places they are known as hawks. They are called that because they are assigned a fixed point from which they can report what happens,” details the newspaper El Universal in a report about these young people.
One of its main functions is go after the vehicles of the Army, Navy and National Guardwhich is why it is common in Culiacán to see the leaders with radio in hand behind the Armed Forces, following them street by street.
Prior to the alleged kidnapping and detention of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambadathe aforementioned media interviewed Rodrigo, a young leader who serves Los Chapitos and gave important information about their operation.
“Here in Culiacán, La Mayiza (men under the command of El Mayo) have almost no leaders, they ask La Chapiza for information; in the south, those from here ask Los del Sombrero for communication to Mazatlán. They get along well,” he explained.
And the factions of the Sinaloa Cartel led by the sons of “El Chapo” and “El Mayo” were united by decades of friendship and cronyism, but everything has changed over time, culminating in an alleged betrayal on the part of Joaquin Guzman Lopezalias “El Güero”.
The operation of the pointers
The leaders are from the lowest part of the criminal structure of the Sinaloa Cartel, mostly young people, who For a relatively low pay they give their loyalty and risk everything.because poverty reigns in the environment in which they grew up.
It is easy to identify them, some start at 13 years old, they are not older than 20, they are thin, they wear caps, they travel on low-cost motorcycles and carry a radio to inform their bosses of the movements in the city.
Their “shifts” are 12 hours of work for 12 hours of rest.receive a payment of 4,000 Mexican pesos every two weeks. “There is no Christmas, no New Year, no Mother’s Day,” explains the young man.
Although the pay is good for him, he reports that The pointers can be promoted to hitmenThere, the pay increases to 7,000 pesos every two weeks, working 20 days and resting for five. Obviously, the functions change, since they do much more than just watch the streets.
Although they are in the drug business, they are prohibited from using drugs. “El Jefe” told them that they can easily make mistakes and become emboldened and try to conflict with the authorities who are watching. This is “intended” for everyone.
Mistakes are paid for dearly, either with blows to the head or even death, so they must be completely alert. It is hard work, Rodrigo admits, who says that many people like it because they get a lot of attention with the motorcycle, but he recommends that they become bricklayers instead.
Pointers and policemen
The young leader said that he has no problems with either the state or municipal police, because “they have agreements”They only follow them as a precaution, since they must monitor all the movements in the city, including those of light workers.
A survey conducted by the State Council of Public Security (CESP) revealed that 60% of respondents in Culiacán, Mazatlán and Los Mochis have seen the leaders either talking on the radio or following the military.
The deployment of pointers is such that the Undersecretary of Public Security of Sinaloa, Leoncio Pedro García, said that “There are more pointers than security elements”so fighting crime was complex.
“We have people ahead of us, practically accompanying us on the routes we take, and behind us they know all the movements we make,” he explained.
Although this version was denied days later by the Secretary of Security of Sinaloa, Gerardo Mérida Sánchez, who said that there were no more policemen than leaders. The truth is that for many people it is easier to see one of these young people than an officer.
Continue reading:
– Tense calm or silent war? Drug traffickers detail what is happening in Sinaloa.
– Video of plane carrying “El Mayo” Zambada taking off in Mexico revealed.