MEXICO CITY – Authorities in the Mexican state of Sinaloa said Sunday that at least 14 people were killed the day before amid 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 took place in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state, the attorney general’s office said.
The Public Prosecution Service said in a statement on Sunday that it had opened ten investigations into the murders of fourteen people.
In recent months, fighting in Culiacan between criminal groups battling for territorial control has disrupted daily life and forced businesses and schools to close.
Violence has flared in the Pacific coast state since the late July arrest of Sinaloa cartel leader Zambada after he flew to a Texas airstrip and was promptly taken into custody by US officials.
Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, has sent hundreds of soldiers with armored trucks and powerful weapons to Sinaloa to try to curb the violence, but clashes continue.
Authorities said Saturday that coolers containing human remains, including a head, bearing emblems referring to the embattled gangs were found in parts of Sinaloa.
On Tuesday, a shootout on the outskirts of Culiacan left 19 suspected gang members dead, while one local cartel leader was arrested.
At least 172 people were killed and more than 200 others went missing between September 9, when authorities say the wave of violence began, and October 18. REUTERS