Staff Reports
The video out of Culiacan shows something Mexico’s leaders would rather ignore: cartel gunmen opened fire on a funeral procession while Mexican soldiers looked on and did nothing. Two people were killed and three were wounded. If you still believe the catchy crime statistics from Mexico City, maybe watch that clip first.
Soldiers Watch as Cartel Gunmen Open Fire
The scene was brutal and simple. Two men in a sedan pulled up to a funeral procession, jumped out, and began shooting. People died. People were hurt. A military truck rolled by and the soldiers inside did not intervene. No chase. No return fire. Just silence. That kind of passivity looks less like “restraint” and more like surrender or worse — complicity. Either the soldiers were cowed, ordered to stand down, or tied up in political strings that put interests above lives.
Political Cover and the Indictment Shadow
This attack did not happen in a vacuum. It comes after the U.S. Department of Justice brought a criminal indictment naming Sinaloa’s Governor Ruben Rocha Moya and several associates for allegedly working with the cartel. At the same time, President Claudia Sheinbaum keeps insisting crime is falling. Those claims sit poorly next to videos of soldiers watching a massacre. If you want faith in the numbers, you’ll need more than a press release from Mexico City — you’ll need results on the street.
Why This Matters for Americans
Cartel violence and U.S. national security
When cartels act like militias and local forces stand down, the problem doesn’t stay south of the border. Drugs, guns, and cartel money flow north. Migrant routes become cartel corridors. American towns feel the effects. Washington should stop pretending Mexico’s domestic posturing fixes the problem. Tough, targeted measures — asset freezes, visa bans for corrupt officials, and real cooperation with trustworthy law enforcement — are needed. Soft words and moral lectures won’t stop a gunman in a sedan.
Accountability, Not Excuses
Watching soldiers do nothing while gunmen mow down mourners is a wake-up call. Mexico’s leaders can keep tweeting rosy stats and shaking hands, but the video tells the truth. Cartel violence is flourishing, and political protections only make it worse. If Mexico’s government won’t clean house, the United States must protect its citizens and hold corrupt actors accountable. Otherwise, expect more funerals to be interrupted by the same silence from the very people who should be stopping the crime.
