Four decapitated bodies were found hanging from a bridge in Sinaloa, Mexico, amid a brutal wave of cartel violence that left at least 20 people dead in less than 24 hours, local authorities confirmed.
The killings took place in the city of Culiacán, where a bloody turf war between two rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel — Los Chapitos and La Mayiza — has plunged the region into chaos. The conflict, which began in September last year, continues to escalate, overwhelming residents and law enforcement alike.
According to state prosecutors, the four bodies were discovered suspended from a freeway bridge, while their severed heads were found stuffed in a plastic bag nearby. A chilling message left at the scene read: “WELCOME TO THE NEW SINALOA.”
In a separate grisly discovery, 16 more male victims were found dead inside a white van abandoned along the highway. All had suffered gunshot wounds, and one was also decapitated.
Sinaloa state spokesperson Feliciano Castro condemned the massacre on Monday and called for a renewed focus on combating organized crime. “Military and police forces are working together to restore complete peace in Sinaloa,” he said.
Culiacán Under Siege
The violence has forced schools and businesses in Culiacán to shut down as the streets are overrun by masked gunmen, many riding motorcycles, and gunfire regularly echoes through neighborhoods. Bullet-riddled homes and bodies left in public view have become a grim daily reality.
According to The New York Times, the Los Chapitos — a faction led by the sons of infamous drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán — have reportedly formed a strategic alliance with their longtime rivals, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in a desperate bid to gain the upper hand.
The brutal infighting was triggered by the kidnapping of a senior La Mayiza leader, who was reportedly handed over to U.S. authorities by one of El Chapo’s sons — an explosive betrayal that ignited the current conflict.
Cartel Alliance Born Out of Desperation
To fund their war effort, Los Chapitos have allegedly sold portions of their territory to the CJNG in exchange for cash and weapons. A high-ranking Sinaloa Cartel member told The Times that the group was “gasping for air.”
“Imagine how many millions you burn through in a war every day — the fighters, the weapons, the vehicles,” the cartel insider said. “The pressure mounted little by little.”
With tensions reaching a breaking point, the latest massacre is a grim reminder of how the cartel power struggle is leaving a trail of devastation in its wake — and how ordinary civilians are increasingly caught in the crossfire.
