Notorious leader of the Sinaloa Cartel Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada has been arrested. This unprecedented event has dropped the region into an unfathomable turmoil. Nearly a year to the day, on July 25, 2024, El Mayo was arrested in El Paso, Texas. His arrest sparked an internal war between rival factions within the cartel. The recent increase in violence has taken a devastating toll on the residents. In Sinaloa, daily life is turned upside-down as the economy is replaced by civilian deaths at exponentially increasing rates.
Ever since Guzmán’s arrest, Sinaloa has experienced a torrent increase in murders. As of June, murders are up more than 400 percent from this time last year according to these officials’ own reports. The new reality of violence has left hundreds of residents to change their day-to-day activities, all while living in the shadow of fear and anxiety… daily.
A Surge in Homicides
The violence in Sinaloa has spiraled out of control. In 2025 so far, at least 571 civilians have been killed in the recent surge of cartel-related violence. As the sun rose on July 25, 2024—the day after El Mayo’s capture—things took a bloody turn. A total of seventeen homicides occurred, including an average of one every 85 minutes.
As the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) recently highlighted, this is part of a much more alarming trend. Since El Mayo’s arrest, more than two people are killed each day. Today, Sinaloa is an infamous household name due to its ties to violence. On July 25th, 2025, it endured the harshest day of the year, beating every other state in Mexico.
That harsh reality is only made worse by other gruesome events that further highlight the inhumanity of this ongoing war. In early May 2025, one of their member’s bodies was found hanging from a bridge, with an anonymous threatening sign from rival gang members. Just weeks later, a human head was found near a tourist site in Culiacán, a stark reminder of the violence that has erupted since El Mayo’s capture.
“We are working and will bring peace to Sinaloa.” – Claudia Sheinbaum
Daily Life Disrupted
The violence, of course, has turned life in Sinaloa upside down. Yet today those residents are living in a new normal where fear and uncertainty are shaping their everyday lives. Many have adopted voluntary self-curfews on their activities for fear of violent confrontation.
National chains and mom-and-pop shops that make up our local business communities have had a hard time adjusting to this new level of threat. Fears of the recurrence of armed clashes are high, and the population is understandably anxious. In response, many retailers have made the choice to shutter or reduce hours. The economic consequences are even more dire, as the community continues to deal with scarcer prospects for both jobs and trade.
Victoria Dittmar, a resident of Culiacán, described the grim adjustments that many have made:
“At first, between September and December, it was like a self-imposed rule because you were afraid to go out. Normally, nights and early mornings were most violent… but really, the whole day is. You can go out at noon and get caught in a shootout leaving a school.” – Victoria Dittmar
Fear continues to hold the region in its grasp. Citizens increasingly are forced to choose between safety and security, deciding when and if to leave home and under what circumstances. This change is a necessary acknowledgment and an appropriate public response to an environment where safety cannot be assured.
Government Response and Public Sentiment
With the violence growing, state and federal officials promised to establish peace in Sinaloa. Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration has called the transit crisis a priority. Down on the ground, local residents are unconvinced that all this effort will accomplish anything.
Sonia, another resident, voiced her frustration with the current approach taken by law enforcement:
“You see military convoys everywhere, but there’s no real strategy. There are areas where there are shootouts every day and the authorities arrive hours later. It’s all for show.” – Sonia
This feeling rings true for all who journeyed on that road and feel, despite thousands of troops seen and counted, nothing has been done. And as violence goes uncontrolled, American trust that our government promises are coming true is tick-tock-ing away.
Rubén Rocha Moya announced the cancellation of public celebrations in light of security concerns:
“We have decided that the September 15 celebration will be suspended. There will be no celebration, neither public nor private.” – Rubén Rocha Moya
These are the kind of measures that show an understanding of the times we are in, and just how dire things are for Sinaloa.
