Will Chalk

Our correspondent Quentin Somerville recently returned from the state of Sinaloa and its capital, Culiacan, which is dominated by the drug wars.

A warning, his report features graphic descriptions of violence from the start.

We're just tearing through central Kuliakalma, the paramedics are driving at speed and we're heading towards the scene of a shooting.

Just arrived at the scene.

We're actually inside the cordon now.

It's a garage.

A relative has just arrived.

One murder, six shots in all body.

So, Hector, as paramedics, there's nothing you can do.

You mainly see bodies, the dead.

There was, in fact, one person that was killed.

The owner of the garage was found dead in his office.

I can see a photograph of him now, covered in a blanket, just his feet showing.

And somewhat awfully typical for these men that, as paramedics, there's no help that they can provide, really, because they're dealing with execution-style killings and murders, and it's only dead bodies time after time.

It's just before eight in the morning here in central Coolio Can, just outside one of the main shopping malls and another body on the pavement.

This one is very grisly.

It's a man who's been tortured.

There's a message taped to his body.

It seems to have photographs and some writing.

But clearly a message has been sent.