There is a certain tedious predictability to the way the world falls apart. We act surprised when chaos erupts, as if we haven't been watching the cracks form for decades. The latest example of this tiring cycle is the escalating **Culiacán violence** currently dominating the headlines. The news reports say the city has turned into a war zone, claiming "fear is everywhere." Well, of course it is. When you let criminal organizations run your economy and your streets for thirty years, you shouldn't be shocked when they decide to have a loud, violent argument over who gets to sit in the big chair.

Here is the situation, stripped of the polite language the politicians like to use. The **Sinaloa Cartel internal war** is a business empire dispute built on misery and addiction. This isn't a boardroom meeting with PowerPoint slides; it is a full-blown civil conflict between two heavily armed factions. On one side, you have the **Los Chapitos**, the sons of the imprisoned drug lord El Chapo. On the other side, you have the loyalists of Ismael "**El Mayo**" Zambada, the old partner recently betrayed and shipped off to the United States. It is a classic power vacuum. The old boss is gone, and now the wolves are fighting over the carcass.

For the people living in Culiacán, this isn't an interesting story about **Mexico drug war news**; it is a daily nightmare. The BBC reports that the city is paralyzed. Schools are closed. Businesses have pulled down their metal shutters. The streets are empty, save for the gunmen and the occasional military patrol that seems mostly there for decoration. The residents are hiding in their homes, listening to the sound of high-powered rifles echoing off the walls. It is a city held hostage by its own history.

What is truly tragic—and frankly, pathetic—is the response from the authorities. The government sends in soldiers. They hold press conferences. They promise safety. But everyone knows the truth. In places like Culiacán, the state is just a guest. The real landlords are the cartels. The police are often outgunned or on the payroll. The politicians offer "hugs, not bullets," a slogan that sounds nice on a poster but offers absolutely no protection against a grenade launcher.

We see this time and again. A criminal leader is captured, and the world applauds. "We got him," they say. "Justice is served." But they never stop to think about what comes next. Removing the head of the beast doesn't kill it; it just makes the body thrash around wildly, crushing everything nearby. The capture of El Mayo was hailed as a victory. Now, the people of Culiacán are paying the price for that victory with their peace of mind and their safety.

It is the theater of the absurd. We watch the Mexican government pretend they are in control, while the cartels block roads and burn vehicles to remind everyone who really owns the pavement. We watch the United States demand action, while its own appetite for drugs fuels the entire fire. It is a perfect circle of incompetence and greed. The supply meets the demand, and the violence is just the cost of doing business.

So, Culiacán becomes a ghost town. The economy grinds to a halt. People are too scared to go to work or buy groceries. This is what happens when the rule of law is just a suggestion. The social contract—the idea that the government protects you in exchange for your taxes—has been ripped up and thrown in the gutter. In its place is the rule of the strongest. If you have the biggest gun, you make the laws.

It is hard to feel anything but exhaustion watching this. We have seen this movie before. We know how it ends. Eventually, one side will win. The shooting will slow down. The shops will open again. The politicians will claim they restored order. But the underlying rot will remain. The power will simply shift from one criminal hand to another, and the people will go back to living their lives with one eye constantly looking over their shoulder. It is a tragedy, certainly. But it is a tragedy written by bureaucrats and fueled by our collective indifference. Welcome to the new normal, same as the old normal.

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### References & Fact-Check * **Primary Source**: [BBC News: 'Fear is everywhere': BBC reports from Mexican city turned into war zone by drug cartel feud](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2g3vmde0eo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) * **Key Event**: The ongoing factional war within the Sinaloa Cartel following the U.S. arrest of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada. * **Context**: The conflict is primarily between the "Mayos" faction and "Los Chapitos" (sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán).