The fracturing of the Sinaloa Cartel has transformed Culiacán into one of the most critical hotspots of violence in the country. From being a state with low crime rates, Sinaloa has gone on to lead in homicides, police killings, and vehicle thefts since 2024, warned Nancy Canjura, a researcher at Causa en Común.
Sinaloa, and particularly Culiacán, has become one of the most dangerous territories internationally due to the internal war between the factions of Los Chapitos and La Mayiza.
Nancy Canjura, a researcher with the human rights organization, told Infobae that the analysis of violence in Mexico must be done on a case-by-case basis, since some states have managed to contain or modify their criminal dynamics through specific security strategies, as occurred in Coahuila and other northern states. However, the situation in Sinaloa is different.
“The case of Sinaloa is the most emblematic,” Canjura noted, explaining that for years the state did not rank among the top in homicides, police killings, vehicle thefts, rapes, or other high-impact crimes. “The only thing that was reported, but didn’t attract much attention, was forced disappearance,” she pointed out.
