The final weekend of June was one of the bloodiest in Sinaloa since turf wars between rival criminal groups Los Chapitos and La Mayiza escalated nearly 10 months ago.
According to multiple reports, more than 30 homicides were recorded across the state between June 28 and June 29, with the majority occurring Sunday, when authorities discovered the bodies of 20 people on a highway overpass.
As reported by local media, members of the National Guard and agents from the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) responded to an anonymous tip about a suspicious vehicle parked on an overpass near Federal Highway 5. Upon arrival, authorities found a van covered with written messages directed at Iván Archivaldo and Alfredo Guzmán López, leaders of Los Chapitos, along with a narco manta — a banner commonly used by drug cartels to intimidate or send a message — which was promptly removed.
What they discovered at the scene was described as horrific. Further investigations uncovered 16 bodies inside the van. Nearby, hanging from the overpass, authorities found four decapitated bodies and a plastic bag containing five severed heads.
As of Monday, none of the victims had been officially identified, although the Sinaloa Attorney General's Office said an investigation is ongoing to clarify the events and identify those responsible.
"At the scene, on the bridge, four decapitated bodies were found, along with a bag containing five severed heads," authorities said in a brief statement shared with the press. "Inside a pickup truck, 15 complete bodies and one decapitated body were found. All the victims are male and showed signs of gunshot wounds," the statement added.
According to El País, messages written on the exterior of the vehicle suggest the attack was carried out by La Mayiza, a rival faction of Los Chapitos. The group is reportedly led by Ismael Zambada Sicairos, alias "Mayito Flaco," son of Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.
"Alfredo Guzmán, Iván Guzmán, rats," one of the messages read.
Less than 24 hours before the discovery, authorities reported six additional homicides in the city of Culiacán.
According to Noroeste, June is on track to become the bloodiest month since the turf war between the Mayos and Chapitos erupted in September 2024. With the exact number of victims from the van still unconfirmed, the outlet estimates that more than 218 people have been killed in June alone, surpassing the 188 reported deaths in May 2025.
Since the conflict between the rival factions began last September, authorities have received nearly 1,600 homicide reports and 1,649 reports of kidnappings, Noroeste reported.
Despite a decline in homicides during the first two months of 2025, Sinaloa has seen increases each month since February: 137 killings in March, 145 in April, 188 in May, and a record 218 reported so far in June.
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