The cartel civil war that has been rocking Culiacán in Mexico since September 2024 shows no sign of stopping as another victim was found dead in the street on Friday night
A decapitated body has been found in the street of a Mexican city rocked by a cartel civil war.
Authorities in Culiacán, in the state of Sinaloa, said the gruesome discovery was made last night. The body was found in front of a home on Mármol Avenue, about 100 metres south of the Sanalona highway.
The victim, a man whose identity has not yet been confirmed, suffered gunshot wounds – and his head was found a short distance from the rest of his body. He has been described as aged between 30 and 35, of robust build, who was wearing blue jeans, a black T-shirt and matching tennis shoes, according to reports.
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While the police investigation is ongoing and further details on the incident are not yet available, the man is believed to be the latest victim of the cartel war between the Los Chapitos – led by drug lord Iván Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, the son of imprisoned trafficker Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán – and La Mayiza. The two groups are the primary factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, which is considered the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organisation in the Western Hemisphere.
A conflict between the two groups and their respective armed groups erupted on September 9, 2024, and later spread to other municipalities in the state. Ricardo Jenny del Rincón, head of the Executive Secretariat of the State Public Security System, said that the war, which is about to reach its eighth month, has left 37 minors dead.
During a press conference on state security, he said that most of the victims were men and two were women. “The ages range from two to 17,” explained the official. “We don’t have precise information about whether it was a confrontation; whether it was a collateral victim; whether it was a stray bullet incident, etc,” he added.
“Ultimately, these are victims linked to these events that have been reported. They are not random cases of accidents or something else, but rather are linked to the criminal acts taking place.” He said the youngest victim was aged two, with a child aged six, another aged nine and two aged 12 also killed during the civil war.
The official said teens between the ages of 13 and 16 have also been killed between September 2024 and March 2025. “Not all minors are collateral victims as such; there have also been minors who may have participated in a criminal act,” he clarified.
In November, a popular YouTuber was found dead by the side of the road with his eyes taped shut. Miguel Vivanco, known to his fans as El Jasper, was found wrapped inside a bedsheet by his relatives in Culiacán two days after he went missing. His eyes were covered with green tape, he was handcuffed, and signs of torture were found on his body. News outlet Infobae reported he had suffered 70 bullet wounds.
According to his relatives, a group of hitmen had entered Miguel’s home, located in the Quilá area just days before his death and had taken him by force. Miguel, who was originally from Culiacán, became famous in the Sinaloa region after uploading content to YouTube and TikTok. He also shared videos of his close friendship with another influencer known as Markitos Toys. Both of them have previously been linked to Los Chapitos.
