Cartel gangs patrol streets of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Cartel gangs patrol streets of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
Cartel gangs are taking over in Mexico after heavily armed hitmen dressed like SWAT team operatives were filmed in Mexico patrolling the streets with total impunity.The shocking footage was captured in the city of Culiacan, capital of the Culiacan municipality in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa on 7th October.The notoriously conflictive area is overrun with alleged gangsters from the El Chapo empire, according to national newspaper Infobae.The footage shows several men in military gear and heavily armed, hanging out in a city car park.Reportedly, the gangsters even set up checkpoints in the city and patrol the streets, leading the general population too scared to go out after dark in fear of the criminal gang members.According to Infobae, inhabitants have to live in fear in the area where there are frequent shootings.However, during the day, the hitmen also reportedly hang around in their cars and intimidate with their large weapons.An anonymous resident talked to local media outlet LineaDirecta said: "There have been moments where we have felt totally violated because there is no government here."Due to its location, for years it has been a disputed territory for drug trafficking, which has caused the death of thousands of civilians.The criminal gang, led by the sons of infamous Joaquín el “Chapo” Guzman repeatedly boast of its power with gold-plated submachine guns and armoured vehicles on social media.The drug traffickers, according to experts, love to show their life of excess, violence and ostentation.The vacant and abandoned lands of Culiacan have also been said to have become a mass grave as hitmen have used them so often for their victims.The latest victims were identified as two young teens aged 14 and 16, who were killed and burned.The locals have demanded that the authorities act to implement a security protocol in the mountainous areas so that those in the area can live in peace.
