Sinaloa, one of Mexico’s 31 states, has experienced rising levels of violent attacks and homicides following the detainment of drug cartel kingpin ‘El Mayo’ last year
The Mexican state of Sinaloa has been rocked by shootings, violent deaths, and the discovery of several bodies.
The extraordinary violence on Wednesday saw two different sets of human remains discovered, with two other people injured by gunshots. Sinaloa, located in the northwest of the country, has long been associated with violence and gangs as the home of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel.
However, homicide figures have shot up in the past year following the arrest of drug kingpin Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada in July 2024. Since his arrest, the number of murders has risen by more than 400%, according to CNN analysis. During the first six months of the year, authorities registered 883 homicides in Sinaloa.
On Wednesday October 8, the region was struck by multiple murders and attacks. Two of the victims included men who were found shot and killed next to the highway in Toboloto, Navolato, according to Línea Directa.
Meanwhile, a woman was shot and killed inside a home in Las Mañanitas, and on the same day a man was found tied up and murdered inside his Prados del Sur home.
In the Terranova neighbourhood of the Bugambilias area, a man was shot and killed by unknown assailants in the car park of a shopping mall, local outlet Infobae reported. The man was allegedly a passenger on a rail-hailing service.
Also on Wednesday, a man was found dead inside a property that had been attacked with bullets by an armed group, south of Culiacán. In the Aguaruto area, another attack took place in a home, with a father reportedly losing his life while his son was injured.
Human remains were found in Culiacán by the State Commission for the Search for Missing Persons. On the same day, remains of another person were found near the Mármol toll booth on the Mazatlán-Culiacán highway.
Earlier this year, on August 10, there were 17 homicides committed – the equivalent of one every 85 minutes. It was the most violent day of the year according to figures from the Mexican government.
Zambada, the drug cartel co-founder, pleaded guilty in a New York court in August to murder and drug trafficking. His guilty plea meant he would be able to avoid the death penalty, but still faces life in prison at his sentencing which is yet to take place.
As part of the deal, Zambada agreed to forfeit $15 billion. Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, said that the US government should give this money to her country’s poor. She stated: “If the United States government were to recover resources, then we would be asking for them to be given to Mexico for the poorest people.”