Sinaloa Cartel violence draws thousands to Culiacan march

Thousands of people marched in Culiacan, Mexico, on Sunday to protest deaths linked to a war between rival factions of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The demonstrators, many dressed in white, released white balloons and walked to the cathedral in the Sinaloa state capital. They shouted calls for peace and carried signs saying they were tired of living in fear.

The protest was organized by the Catholic Church, business leaders and families of missing persons. Culiacan Bishop Jesus Jose Herrera urged gang members to stop the violence, saying that no territory or ambition was worth more than a human life.

Sinaloa state has been gripped since September 2024 by fighting between factions loyal to the families of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, co-founders of the cartel who are both serving life sentences in the United States.

The death toll in the state has surpassed 3,000 in two years, including many civilians caught in crossfire. On Saturday alone, at least seven people were killed.

President Claudia Sheinbaum has deployed thousands of soldiers to the state. Gun and drug seizures have increased, but violence has continued. Protesters also chanted against Sheinbaum, and a group burned a cardboard effigy of her.

Sergio Raul Esquer, a businessman and state leader of the opposition party Movimiento Ciudadano, said more than 5,000 businesses had closed because of the violence.

US President Donald Trump has declared the Sinaloa Cartel a foreign terrorist organization and threatened to intervene against it on Mexican soil if Mexican authorities do not act.