Violence continues to escalate in Sinaloa, Mexico, with 11 more people killed amid gang infighting in the cartel heartland. This brings the death toll to over 30 in the past week. The clashes are believed to be linked to a power struggle between factions loyal to imprisoned drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán and those supporting Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, who was recently arrested on U.S. soil.

Zambada, 76, was detained alongside Guzmán’s son, Joaquín Guzmán López, and both are facing drug trafficking charges. Zambada pleaded not guilty last week in a New York court. His arrest has triggered further violence, leading to school closures, canceled Independence Day celebrations, and a U.S. security alert due to reports of roadblocks, shootings, and burning vehicles in Culiacan, Sinaloa’s capital.

The violence underscores the brutal tactics of the Chapitos, a faction of El Chapo’s sons, who are notorious for smuggling fentanyl and employing horrific methods, such as torture and feeding victims to tigers. Despite El Chapo serving a life sentence in the U.S., his legacy and cartel continue to wreak havoc in Mexico.