The killings in the northwest state of Sinaloa raise questions as to whether Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, is taking a tougher approach to cartels.

Sinaloa has seen a surge in violence since the July arrest of the cartel's co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada in the U.S.

A shootout near the capital of Mexico's Sinaloa state killed 19 suspected gang members, while one local cartel leader was arrested, Mexico's defense ministry said on Tuesday, as intra-cartel violence intensifies.

Mexican army troops have killed 19 suspected drug cartel gunmen in a shootout but suffered no casualties themselves

Mexican soldiers killed 19 suspected members of the Sinaloa Cartel after they were attacked by more than 30 gunmen near Culiacán on Tuesday.

Mexican army troops have reportedly killed 19 suspected cartel affiliates during a Monday shootout near Culiacan, the state capital of Sinaloa.