Mexican authorities discover 20 bodies, some decapitated, on Sinaloa highway

Prosecutors in northern Mexico’s Sinaloa state are investigating the discovery of 20 male bodies with gunshot wounds – including five that were decapitated – on a bridge over a federal highway.

Prosecutors in northern Mexico’s Sinaloa state are investigating the discovery of 20 male bodies with gunshot wounds – including five that were decapitated – on a bridge over a federal highway. Local media reported that a message was also found hanging over the bridge in Culiacán. The prosecutor’s office told CNN it had no comment on the message but would investigate. Sinaloa Secretary General Feliciano Castro Meléndez called the case a “regrettable situation” and said it was “part of the violence and insecurity that Sinaloa is experiencing.” Since 2024, Culiacán has been the epicenter of armed clashes between rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel. Two of the most prominent factions are La Mayiza, which is loyal to the cartel’s alleged co-founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, and Los Chapitos, which is loyal to the sons of former drug kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. The violence in Sinaloa escalated after Zambada and one of El Chapo’s sons, Joaquín Guzmán López, were arrested last year by US authorities in El Paso, Texas.