Mexican security forces have ramped up their presence across Sinaloa state (a northwestern Pacific-coast region long dominated by the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world's most powerful drug trafficking organisations), deploying troops and establishing checkpoints amid an ongoing internal cartel war. Rival factions within the Sinaloa Cartel have been fighting for control for nearly two years, a conflict that has claimed more than 3,000 lives despite the visible military deployment. The violence has been compounded by political instability, with investigations and indictments connected to former officials adding further turmoil to the region.