On September 20, 2024, in Sinaloa, Mexico, a surge in violence linked to drug cartel disputes has resulted in the deaths of six individuals, including five men and one woman. The Sinaloa Attorney General's office reported that the bodies of four men and one woman were found shot in various locations in Culiacán, the state capital. Additionally, a man was killed and a woman injured in the tourist port of Mazatlán.
This wave of violence has been attributed to ongoing conflicts between factions of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, particularly between the group led by 'Los Chapitos,' the sons of former leader Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán, and supporters of the historic leader Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, who was captured in Texas nearly two months ago.
Since the escalation began on September 9, nearly fifty fatalities have been reported, including military personnel. In response, the federal government has deployed over 2,000 military and National Guard troops to Sinaloa, but these efforts have failed to quell the violence that has left the local population in fear and disrupted commercial activities in Culiacán, a city of over one million residents.
Authorities have initiated security operations in schools to reassure residents and restore educational activities, but these measures have not been successful. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has pointed to the United States as partially responsible for the violence, suggesting that the instability in Sinaloa is linked to agreements that led to Zambada's arrest.
In his morning conference, López Obrador stated, 'Of course, [the U.S. is responsible] for carrying out that operation.' However, the U.S. government has denied any involvement in Zambada and Guzmán López's capture.