Early Monday morning in Culiacán, Sinaloa, violence erupted when soldiers encountered armed civilians in the La Campiña neighborhood, leading to an exchange of gunfire around 6 a.m. This confrontation resulted in two soldiers being injured, with reports of one civilian fatality, though details on the civilian’s involvement remain sparse. Governor Rubén Rocha Moya took to X to inform the public of the situation, noting the immediate response by security forces from all government levels, which led to the seizure of two vehicles left behind by the fleeing assailants.
Following the initial clash, the area saw an increased presence of armed men, with Río Doce reporting sightings of at least 40 vehicles carrying men armed with heavy weaponry. This incident wasn’t isolated but part of a series of violent outbreaks in Culiacán, which has been a hotspot for cartel-related activities. The newspaper also mentioned that the violence initially broke out between rival criminal factions, although specifics about these groups or the deceased were not disclosed.
In response to the morning’s violence, Governor Rocha announced the suspension of classes as a precautionary measure, urging the populace to remain calm as the situation was brought under control. This event comes in the wake of previous disturbances, notably an attack on an army convoy and the setting of “narco-blockades” on August 29, which fortunately resulted in no casualties but highlighted the ongoing tensions in the region.
The recent spate of violence in Sinaloa has been linked to internal strife within the Sinaloa Cartel, particularly following the arrests of key figures like Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García and Joaquín Guzmán López in the U.S. on July 25. Their arrests have seemingly triggered a power struggle, evidenced by ten homicides in mid-August, believed to be connected to these internal cartel conflicts.
Zambada’s arrest was particularly dramatic, with claims that he was kidnapped by Guzmán López and involuntarily flown to the U.S., where both have since pleaded not guilty to various charges including drug trafficking. This series of events underscores the volatile situation in Culiacán, a city long under the shadow of cartel influence and now facing the repercussions of leadership vacuum and internal disputes within one of the world’s most infamous drug cartels.
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