El Armadillo for Borderland Beat
A Google image search for "Mayiza gorras" returns dozens of results. One snapback features a gold "MF" and a horse, the logo used to represent Ismael "Mayito Flaco" Zambada Sicairos, the current leader of the Sinaloa Cartel faction built by his father Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. Another displays a large M topped with a sombrero, a reference to El Mayo himself, known as El M Grande and El del Sombrero. A third reworks the iconic MASECA corn flour logo, replacing the brand name with "MAYIZA." They range from coded to relatively overt. An outsider might scroll past the MF horse logo without a second thought, while the MASECA parody at least puts a recognizable name in front of anyone paying attention. The hats are listed on Amazon, eBay, and Mercado Libre. All of it is available to anyone willing to place an order.
Narco fashion has been evolving alongside the drug war for over a decade. But the hats do not come from nowhere. In Mexico, particularly among young men, custom-designed snapbacks and fitted caps have their own culture that has nothing to do with cartels. Designers produce intricate, detailed work, the scene prizes craftsmanship and exclusivity. These are not simple baseball caps. They are collectors' items. The narco hat market grafts itself onto this existing infrastructure. The production methods are the same, the distribution channels are the same, the audience overlaps. The difference is the imagery.
