Mexico's Sinaloa State Reports 14 Murders In A Day Amid A Wave Of Violence

Mexican federal police illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Gioabreffilo)

JAKARTA - Authorities in Mexico's Sinaloa State said on Sunday, at least 14 people died the day before amid a wave of violence that erupted after the arrest of drug dealer Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada in the United States.

Most of Saturday's killings took place in Culiacan, the state capital, the state attorney general's office said.

Authorities reported on Saturday that a cooler containing human remains, including the head, was found in parts of Sinaloa with symbols referring to the disputed gangs.

The prosecutor's office said in a statement on Sunday it had opened 10 investigations into the killing of 14 people.

In recent months, fighting in Culiacan between criminal groups fighting for territorial control has disrupted daily life, forcing businesses and schools to close.

Violence has flared up in the Pacific coastal state since the arrest of the leader of the Sinaloa Zambada cartel in late July, after he was flown to the airport in Texas and was immediately detained by US officials.

Meanwhile, Mexico's new President Claudia Sheinbaum has deployed hundreds of military personnel with armored trucks and high-power weapons to Sinaloa to try to contain violence, but clashes continue.

On Tuesday, gunfire on the outskirts of Culiacan killed 19 suspected gang members, while a local cartel leader was arrested.

It is known that at least 172 people were killed and more than 200 others reported missing between September 9, when authorities said the wave of violence began until October 18.