Mexican president blames the U.S. for bloodshed in Sinaloa as cartel violence surges

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador blamed the United States on Thursday for the surge in cartel violence terrorizing the northern state of Sinaloa which has left at least 30 people dead in the past week. Two warring factions of the Sinaloa cartel have clashed in the state capital of Culiacan in what appears to be a fight for power. The surge in violence had been expected after Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, landed near El Paso, Texas on July 25 in a small plane with Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. During his morning press briefing on Thursday, López Obrador claimed that American authorities were responsible for the violence because of the capture of Zambada, a wild saga that has puzzled many across the region. Last week, López Obrador publicly asked Sinaloa's warring factions to act “responsibly” and noted that he believed the cartels would listen to him.

Two warring factions of the Sinaloa cartel have clashed in the state capital of Culiacan in what appears to be a fight for power. Teams of gunmen have engaged each other and the security forces, and more dead bodies continue to pop up in the city. On Thursday afternoon, another military operation covered the north of the city with military and circling helicopters. Traffic was heavy in Culiacan and most schools were open, even though parents were still not sending their children to classes. Businesses continue to close early and few people venture out after dark.

While the city has slowly reopened and soldiers patrol the streets, many families continue to hide away, with parents and teachers fearing they'll be caught in the crossfire. “Where is the security for our children, for ourselves too?