Violent New Year’s Day in Sinaloa and Guanajuato: Five Found Dead Amid Cartel Warfare
On New Year’s Day, five individuals were found dead in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, victims of ongoing cartel conflict. In Guanajuato, two more were killed in an attack on a restaurant. The deaths mark a continuation of violence related to the Sinaloa cartel, which has seen at least 651 murders and 513 disappearances from December 9 to December 31. The war pits the sons of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán against loyalists of former ally Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, amidst a backdrop of rising violence in Guanajuato, the deadliest state in Mexico.