Thirteen Suspected Cartel Members Killed in Shootout with Police in Sinaloa

Thirteen suspected members of a drug cartel were killed on Monday during a fierce shootout with law enforcement officers in Mexico’s violence-stricken state of Sinaloa, officials confirmed.

Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch stated on social media that four additional suspects had been arrested, and nine individuals who had been kidnapped by the gang were successfully rescued following the armed confrontation in Guasave, a municipality located in the northwestern region of the state.

According to Harfuch, security forces were conducting a routine patrol when they came under sudden attack from gunmen hiding beneath a bridge, prompting the officers to return fire.

In the aftermath of the clash, authorities seized seven vehicles, a cache of high-powered firearms, and tactical equipment used by the gang members.

Sinaloa — the stronghold of one of Mexico’s most powerful and notorious criminal organisations — has been enduring a wave of violence for over a year due to an ongoing power struggle between rival factions within the cartel.

This internal conflict has resulted in the deaths of at least 1,700 people, including 57 minors, and has left nearly 2,000 others missing, according to official reports.

The brutal infighting erupted after the capture of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the cartel’s long-standing leader, who was reportedly betrayed by the son of his former associate, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Zambada was subsequently extradited to the United States in July 2024, triggering a violent contest for control within the cartel’s ranks.