A relative of the two Sinaloa girls killed this week is disputing Mexican officials’ version of events, claiming it does not accurately reflect what happened.
In a TikTok video, Víctor Alonso Medina stated that the girls were not “collateral damage” but were executed by military personnel.
The victims, named Leydi, 11, and Alexa, 7, were traveling with their family through the rural community of La Cieneguilla, about six miles north of Badiraguato, when suspected cartel gunmen ambushed a convoy of Mexican Army soldiers and state prosecutors.
First responders confirmed the girls’ deaths on the scene. Four more people, including a 12-year-old boy and his parents, were taken to a hospital in Badiraguato before being airlifted by military helicopter to a regional hospital in Culiacán.
In the video, Medina claims to have spoken with his uncle, one of the four survivors and reportedly one of the girls’ fathers. According to Medina, his uncle informed him that “what authorities and the media are saying has nothing to do with what actually happened.”
Ayúdame ah compartir este video es importante que la verdad prevalezca ☝🏻 En memoria de Leidy Rojas Gonzales Alexa Medina DEP 👼🏻👼🏻 🕊️🙏🏻 🥹 😭 #enmemoria #2 #ninas #dep #familia #mimassentidopesame🕊️😭😇🙏
“The vehicle they showed at the scene has nothing to do with the one they were traveling in, that’s from a previous incident,” Medina said.
“They came across federal agents, and instead of stopping them or saying anything, they just opened fire on the vehicle,” he added in the video, posted May 8.
Medina criticized TV Azteca’s coverage as “inaccurate.” He cited a similar incident in 2008, when six civilians were attacked by military personnel, resulting in four deaths. Five soldiers were charged with homicide.
According to the survivors, the soldiers opened fire on the vehicle without warning, killing two people inside. The National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) later confirmed that there was no military checkpoint or inspection post on the scene.
Ongoing violence in Sinaloa
The incident occurred amid a surge in violence in Sinaloa, where rival criminal factions, particularly Los Chapitos and La Mayiza, have been engaged in a brutal turf war for the past eight months. After the arrests of Joaquín Guzmán López and Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada in July 2024, the conflict between the two groups for control of the Sinaloa Cartel became more intense.
On May 7, six more homicides were reported in the state, bringing the total to 47 for the month.
According to the outlet, there were nearly seven homicides per day in May, and if this trend continues, the total number of killings could exceed 200, making it the deadliest month since Los Chapitos and Los Mayos declared open war last year.
According to Noroeste, Sinaloa authorities have documented 595 homicides, 547 forced kidnappings, and 2,608 vehicle thefts thus far in 2025.
