In a significant operation on Sunday, Mexican authorities successfully liberated an additional 16 individuals who had been abducted by criminal factions in Culiacan, a city in the north, just two days prior. This rescue operation came on the heels of a substantial release on Saturday, where forty-two hostages were freed amidst a surge of violence in the area.
The day also saw a tragic loss, as a member of Mexico’s national guard was killed while participating in the rescue missions in Sinaloa’s capital. Sinaloa Governor, Rubén Rocha, announced via his X platform account (formerly known as Twitter) that the total count of those rescued had reached 58, encompassing 36 adults and 22 children. However, details regarding the circumstances and location of their rescue were not disclosed. Rocha also mentioned that eight individuals remain unaccounted for.
Gerardo Mérida, Sinaloa’s public security secretary, revealed a concerning detail: none of the rescued individuals have chosen to formally identify or accuse their captors. In response to the crisis, federal authorities have deployed 600 special forces troops to aid in the search for the missing persons, complemented by an additional 300 soldiers and a National Guard battalion already operating in the region.
The Sinaloa prosecutors’ office announced the initiation of nine investigations related to incidents that occurred from Friday to Saturday. Yet, local officials have not identified the perpetrators behind these mass abductions, which occurred shortly after three individuals were killed in the state’s Badiraguato region.
Culiacan, along with other cities in Sinaloa, has been a hotspot for violent clashes in recent years, often involving the notorious Sinaloa cartel. The community faced a particularly challenging period last year following the recapture and subsequent extradition of Ovidio Guzmán López, a key cartel figure and son of the infamous Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, to the United States on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. His arrest triggered a wave of violence, resulting in numerous fatalities in the area.