16 bodies in a truck and four decapitated victims hanging from a bridge: The endless horror of the war in Sinaloa

One year after a war broke out between factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, the battle is still raging. In recent hours, authorities have discovered the bodies of 20 people, shot to death and abandoned along Highway 15, north of the city of Culiacán. Four of the victims had been decapitated and were hung by their limbs from a bridge. The others were found inside a truck.

The first news of the discovery emerged Sunday night, around 11:30 p.m. Authorities were working on a preliminary report about the bodies hanging from the bridge, as well as the location of a pickup truck nearby. However, it was only on Monday morning that the State Attorney General’s Office released more details.

“At the scene, on the bridge, four decapitated bodies were found, as well as a bag containing five severed heads,” the agency said in a brief report shared with the press. “Inside a truck, 15 complete bodies and one decapitated body were found. All the victims are male and show signs of gunshot wounds,” it added.

Authorities also found messages — one on a tarp tied to the truck, and others painted on the vehicle’s frame. The messages suggest that the attack was carried out by a faction led by Ismael Zambada Sicairos, alias “Mayito Flaco,” son of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. The messages criticize the leaders of the rival faction, the sons of Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, Iván and Alfredo Guzmán Salazar, known as Los Chapitos.

None of the murdered men have been identified so far; only the alleged involvement of the criminal organization has been established. The discovery came after a series of roadblocks on Sunday in the municipality of Navolato, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from where the bodies were found.

The conflict between the two factions began in early September, weeks after Mayo Zambada was allegedly kidnapped by Joaquín Guzmán López — another of El Chapo’s sons — to be taken to the United States, where he is now on trial for drug trafficking and murders. At least, that is the working theory of the Attorney General’s Office.

The 20 bodies found are reminiscent of another grim discovery in late September, when six bodies were left inside a white truck in the Alturas del Sur neighborhood of Culiacán. In that case, authorities also found a message reading, “Welcome to Culiacán.” The message seemed to be directed at former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who had planned a final visit to Sinaloa, accompanied by president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum.

That month’s conclusion underscores the wave of violence currently gripping Culiacán, a situation that has spread to much of the state’s municipalities and even into Baja California and Sonora. The cartel operates in these regions through illicit activities, such as the production and trafficking of weapons and drugs, especially fentanyl.

The violence has impacted the entire population. At least 47 children and teenagers have died in shootouts since hostilities began in September, along with 28 women and nearly 40 police officers. During these months, more than 1,700 people have disappeared. Violence has also been a key factor behind a historic economic downturn in the region.

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