The nephew of Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has been murdered at his home in Sinaloa state, west Mexico, by a team of gunmen.
On Sunday, Obied Cano Zepeda was gunned down by armed men who arrived in three vehicles, bearing AK-47s. The murder occurred at Cano’s house in Culiacan, capital of Sinaloa state, where he was reportedly hosting a Fathers’ Day party.
The assassins killed two other guests, and injured one seriously, reported Proceso.
According to the newspaper, Cano was arrested in May 2008 in possession of an arsenal of weapons.
InSight Crime Analysis
The victim’s brother, Luis Cano Zepeda, aka “El Blanco,” worked for El Chapo as a pilot transporting drugs and cartel members until he was captured in 2006 by the Mexican Army. Cano’s arrest suggests that he was also involved in the family business.
Cano is not the first member of Guzman’s family to be murdered. In 2004, Guzman’s brother Arturo was killed in prison. Four years later, his son was killed in a dispute with the Beltran Leyva Organization. That same year, Guzman’s longtime girlfriend was found murdered, this time in a suspected hit by the Sinaloa Cartel’s biggest rival, the Zetas.
Recently, violence between the Zetas and Sinaloa Cartel has escalated as the rival groups compete for territory in northern Mexico. The attack against Cano could be part of the Zetas’ campaign to extend their territory into Sinaloa or in retaliation for Sinaloa Cartel attacks on Zetas territory.