Tue Jul 01 02:40:06 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

A surge of cartel violence in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, on June 30, 2025, resulted in the discovery of 20 bodies, many decapitated. The violence stems from a power struggle between factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, particularly Los Chapitos and La Mayiza. Authorities are struggling to control the situation, and residents feel peace is lost. Elsewhere in Mexico, a priest was shot in Tabasco.

**News Article:**

**Sinaloa Cartel War Claims 20 Lives in Culiacan Massacre; Priest Shot in Tabasco**

*Mexico City, July 1, 2025* – A brutal wave of cartel violence has gripped the city of Culiacan, Sinaloa, leaving 20 dead in a single day. Authorities discovered the bodies on Monday, June 30, some decapitated, near the “El Seminario” bridge on the outskirts of the city. Four of the victims were found hanging from the bridge, their heads placed in a nearby bag. Sixteen more bodies, one decapitated, were discovered packed into a van on the same highway, riddled with gunshot wounds. A note, purportedly from one of the warring cartel factions, was left at the scene.

The bloodshed is attributed to an escalating conflict between factions of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel, primarily “Los Chapitos” (linked to the sons of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán) and “La Mayiza.” The power struggle intensified last September following the kidnapping of a rival leader by one of Guzmán’s sons, who then delivered him to U.S. authorities.

“Military and police forces are working together to reestablish total peace in Sinaloa,” stated Sinaloa government spokesperson Feliciano Castro. However, many residents express a loss of faith in the authorities’ ability to control the situation. Homes are frequently hit by gunfire, businesses are closed, and schools are regularly shut down amid the ongoing violence.

In a separate incident, Rev. Héctor Alejandro Pérez was shot in Villahermosa, Tabasco, as he left his home to visit a sick person. The Tabasco Diocese reports he sustained significant blood loss and internal injuries, leaving him in critical condition. The motive for the shooting remains unclear.

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