Authorities discovered 20 bodies in Culiacán, Sinaloa on Sunday night, marking the deadliest single episode in the ongoing war between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel. Five of the victims were decapitated in this gruesome display of cartel violence.
According to the Sinaloa Attorney General’s Office (FGE), four decapitated bodies were hung from a bridge over Federal Highway 15, while 16 additional bodies were found in a van beneath the bridge. All victims were male and had sustained gunshot wounds.
The massacre is attributed to the escalating conflict between “Los Chapitos” and “Los Mayos” factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, which intensified after the arrest of cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García in the United States nearly a year ago. His alleged kidnapping by Joaquín Guzmán López, son of imprisoned drug lord “El Chapo” Guzmán, triggered a wave of violence that has claimed over 1,000 lives since September 2024.
A narco banner left at the scene was reportedly directed at Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, leader of the “Los Chapos” group, warning of similar consequences for anyone allied with them.
The New York Times has reported that amid this turmoil, “Los Chapitos” have formed an alliance with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), potentially reshaping power structures in international drug trafficking. Both cartels were designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. government earlier this year.
Despite the deployment of nearly 10,000 federal security forces to Sinaloa, violence continues unabated. The state recorded 686 homicides in the first five months of 2025, representing a 244% increase compared to the same period last year.
In Culiacán, residents face daily discoveries of bodies, bullet-riddled homes, shuttered businesses, and school closures due to violence. Local media reported 45 murders across six Sinaloa municipalities in just four days.
State officials acknowledged the situation as “regrettable” and claimed they are working with federal authorities to “reestablish total peace in Sinaloa,” though results remain elusive.
For more information, visit the full article at Mexico News Daily.
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