Mexican president blames the US for bloodshed in Sinaloa as cartel violence surges

CULIACAN, Mexico (AP) — Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador blamed the United States in part 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 since two of its leaders were arrested in the United States in late July. Teams of gunmen have shot at each other and the security forces.

Meanwhile, dead bodies continued to pop up around the city. On one busy street corner, cars drove by pools of the blood leading to a body in a car mechanic shop, while heavily armed police in black masks loaded up another body stretched out on a side street of the Sinaloan city.

Asked at his morning briefing if the U.S. government was “jointly responsible” for this violence in Sinaloa, the president said, “Yes, of course ... for having carried out this operation.”

The recent surge in cartel warfare 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.

Zambada was the cartel’s elder figure and reclusive leader. After his arrest, he said in a letter circulated by his lawyer that he had been abducted by the younger Guzmán and taken to the U.S. against his will.

On Thursday afternoon, another military operation covered the north of Culiacan 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, for all citizens? It’s so dangerous here, you don’t want to go outside,” one Culiacan mother told the Associated Press.

The mother, who didn't want to share her name out of fear of the cartels, said that while some schools have recently reopened, she hasn't allowed her daughter to go for two weeks. She said she was scared to do so after armed men stopped a taxi they were traveling in on their way home, terrifying her child.

During his morning news briefing, López Obrador had claimed American authorities “carried out that operation” to capture Zambada and that “it was totally illegal, and agents from the Department of Justice were waiting for Mr. Mayo.”

“If we are now facing instability and clashes in Sinaloa, it is because they (the American government) made that decision,” he said.

He added that there “cannot be a cooperative relationship if they take unilateral decisions” like this. Mexican prosecutors have said they were considering bringing treason charges against those involved in the plan to nab Zambada.

He was echoed by President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, who said later in the day that “we can never accept that there is no communication or collaboration.”

It's the latest escalation of tensions in the U.S.-Mexico relationship. Last month, the Mexican president said he was putting relations with the U.S. and Canadian embassies “on pause” after ambassadors criticized his controversial plan to overhaul Mexico's judiciary by requiring all judges to stand for election.

Still, the Zambada capture has fueled criticisms of López Obrador, who has throughout his administration refused to confront cartels in a strategy he refers to as “hugs not bullets.” On previous occasions, he falsely stated that cartels respect Mexican citizens and largely fight amongst themselves.

While the president, who is set to leave office at the end of the month, has promised his plan would reduce cartel violence, such clashes continue to plague Mexico. Cartels employ an increasing array of tactics, including roadside bombs or IEDs, trenches, home-made armored vehicles and bomb-dropping drones.

Last week, López Obrador publicly asked Sinaloa's warring factions to act “responsibly” and noted that he believed the cartels would listen to him.

But the bloodshed has only continued.

National Guard and Army forces patrol during an operation in a neighborhood of Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

A police officer photographs a crime scene of bodies lying on the ground in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo)

Police watch forensics remove bodies from a street in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo)

Bodies lie on the ground in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo)

Soldiers and police arrive at the area where bodies lie on the ground in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo)

Police work in the area where bodies lie on the ground in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo)

National Guard forces and Army soldiers patrol during an operation in a neighborhood of Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

A person operates a leaf blower on the courtyard of the temporarily closed Lazaro Cardenas elementary school, in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

A resident pedals his bicycle past the temporarily closed Lazaro Cardenas elementary school, in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Sinaloa state Gov. Ruben Rocha, center, participates in an annual earthquake drill in Culiacan, Mexico, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Schools and businesses in Culiacan, Mexico, are closed and security has been increased as violent clashes play out between factions of the Sinaloa cartel. (AP Graphic)

Forensic investigators remove a body from the street in La Costerita, Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Forensic investigators remove a body from the street in La Costerita, Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Crime scene investigators work at the site where a body was found lying on a street in La Costerita neighborhood of Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Forensic investigators work at the site of a body lying in the street in La Costerita, Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Soldiers cordon off a neighborhood during an operation in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

The dead body of man, his arm marked with a tattoo of the Virgin of Guadalupe, lies covered on a street in La Costerita neighborhood of Culiacan, Sinaloa state, Mexico, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

ROME (AP) — Jannik Sinner has gone all the way to the final in his first tournament back from a three-month doping ban.

And Carlos Alcaraz is waiting for him in the Italian Open title match.

The top-ranked Sinner rallied past No. 12 Tommy Paul 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 in the semifinals on Friday as he attempts to become the first Italian man to lift the Rome trophy since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

Earlier, Alcaraz advanced to his first Rome final by beating Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Sunday’s final will mark the first meeting between Sinner and Alcaraz since October, when Alcaraz won the China Open final in a third-set tiebreaker. Alcaraz holds a 6-4 edge in his career meetings with Sinner and has won three straight against his biggest rival.

But Sinner has not lost since that defeat to Alcaraz in Beijing and is on a 26-match winning streak. He’s playing his first tournament since he won his third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January.

“He’s playing great. I’ve been watching his matches,” Alcaraz said. “His level is really high right now. Every time that I play against him is always a battle, always really, really tough. I kind of enjoy (those) moments.”

Sinner cranked up his level to near perfection in a rout of Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Against Paul, Sinner made unforced errors in the first set while his American opponent hit shot after shot on the lines. But Sinner quickly turned the match around.

“Everybody saw the game against Casper,” Alcaraz said. “It’s a huge level.”

Sinner is the first Italian man in the Rome final since Panatta lost the 1978 title match to Bjorn Borg, and Alcaraz noted that playing Sinner before his home crowd will be “even more challenging.”

Sinner's fans have been out in full force for all of his matches, many of them wearing wigs and hats in orange — his theme color. One fan held aloft a sign during the semifinal that translated from Italian to, “Sinner, we missed you.”

In February, Sinner agreed to a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency that raised questions, since the three-month suspension conveniently allowed him not to miss any Grand Slams and come back at his home tournament.

Rome is the last big warmup before the French Open starts on May 25.

It’s the third final in three clay-court events this season for Alcaraz, who won the Monte Carlo Masters and finished runner-up in the Barcelona Open. He withdrew from the Madrid Open because of injury.

The third-ranked Alcaraz withdrew from the Madrid tournament with an upper right leg issue and also had a left leg injury. In Rome, he has been wearing a long black brace covering the upper portion of his right leg stretching down to just below his knee.

Musetti took the first set off Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo final but Alcaraz broke the Italian’s serve in the first game of the rematch to silence the pro-Musetti crowd on Campo Centrale. Musetti didn’t help himself with unforced errors and began pushing Alcaraz only at the end of the set.

Musetti was docked a point for misbehavior late in the second set after receiving a warning earlier for breaking his racket.

On a windy day at the Foro Italico, Alcaraz said it wasn’t about playing “brilliant,” but rather “smart tennis” was required.

“Waiting for your chances to play aggressive, so I think I did it pretty well,” Alcaraz said. “I stayed strong mentally when things didn’t went to my side.”

Alcaraz is playing the Italian Open for the second time. During his Rome debut last year, he lost to then-135th-ranked Hungarian qualifier Fabian Marozsan in the third round.

The women’s final on Saturday features Coco Gauff against Jasmine Paolini.

Paolini and partner Sara Errani also advanced to the women’s doubles final when they beat Russian pair Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider 6-4, 6-4 in a rematch of last year’s Olympic final also won by the Italians.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Jannik Sinner fans wait for the start of the semifinal tennis match against Tommy Paul, of the United States, at the Italian Open, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Italy's Jannik Sinner stands on the court during his semifinal tennis match against Tommy Paul, of the United States, at the Italian Open, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after winning the semifinal tennis match against taly's Lorenzo Musetti at the Italian Open, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Italy's Lorenzo Musetti during their semifinal tennis match at the Italian Open, at the Foro Italico, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Italy's Lorenzo Musetti returns the ball to Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during their semifinal tennis match at the Italian Open, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz walks on the court during the semifinal tennis match against Italy's Lorenzo Musetti at the Italian Open, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Italy's Lorenzo Musetti returns the ball to Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during their semifinal tennis match at the Italian Open, at the Foro Italico, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Italy's Lorenzo Musetti during their semifinal tennis match at the Italian Open, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz returns the ball to Italy's Lorenzo Musetti during their semifinal tennis match at the Italian Open, at the Foro Italico, in Rome, Friday, May 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)