Priest reported missing in Mexico's Sinaloa state

MEXICO CITY: A Catholic priest was reported missing on Monday in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, which has been hit by a wave of drug-related violence, local and church authorities said.

Clemente Morales, 67, was last seen in an area of Culiacan, the state capital, which is rocked daily by robberies, kidnappings and murders linked to infighting within the Sinaloa cartel.

"We call on the relevant authorities to fulfil their duty and work together to swiftly locate Father Clemente," the Mexican Bishops' Conference said in a statement posted on social media.

Many members of the congregation at the church where Morales serves gathered outside the state government headquarters on Monday to pray and demand that he be found alive, media images showed.

Sinaloa Governor Graciela Dominguez told reporters that security forces had launched a search operation.

"We remain in contact with church authorities to follow up on this case," she said.

Amid the drug-related violence plaguing Mexico, at least 14 priests have been murdered over the past seven years, according to a tally by the Catholic Multimedia Center.

The Sinaloa cartel is embroiled in an internal war between factions loyal to its longtime leaders and former partners Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, both imprisoned in the United States.

Culiacan is the main battleground in the conflict, which has left more than 2,000 people dead since 2024.