Even as President Scheinbaum deploys troops, gang violence shakes Sinaloa; 14 killed in a day – Firstpost

Authorities in the Mexican state of Sinaloa said on Sunday that at least 14 people had been killed the previous day in a wave of violence that erupted after the arrest of drug trafficker Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in the United States.

Most of the killings on Saturday occurred in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, the state attorney general’s office said.

The prosecutor’s office said in a statement on Sunday that it had opened 10 investigations into the murders of 14 people.

In recent months, fighting in Culiacan between criminal gangs fighting for control of the territory has disrupted daily life and forced the closure of businesses and schools.

Violence erupted in the Pacific state following the late July arrest of Sinaloa cartel leader Zambada after he was flown to a runway in Texas and immediately taken into custody by US officials.

Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has sent hundreds of troops with armored trucks and heavy weapons to Sinaloa to try to contain the violence, but clashes continue.

Authorities said on Saturday that coolers containing human remains, including a head, were found in parts of Sinaloa with emblems alluding to the disputed gangs.

On Tuesday, 19 suspected gang members were killed and one local cartel leader was arrested in a shootout on the outskirts of Culiacan.

At least 172 people have been killed and more than 200 are missing between September 9, when authorities say the wave of violence began, and October 18.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Firstpost staff.)