Twelve bodies were discovered in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato amid escalating cartel wars over turf.
Local authorities said the violence was over a dispute between two between organized crime syndicates over a square.
According to the state prosecutor’s office, all the bodies were discovered within two hours across five locations in the city of Salamanca.
The victims, three women and nine men, were found on roads, bridges, and avenues, with gunshot wounds and signs of torture, while one was dismembered.
The perpetrators left messages in which a cartel took responsibility for the violent crime, state prosecutors said.
National Guard investigator waits outside a rehabilitation centre where, according to local government, unknown gunmen killed four people and injured five in Salamanca, Guanajuato state, Mexico on October 2, 2024. It comes as authorities in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato found twelve bodies on Thursday, attributing the killings to conflicts between organized crime syndicates.
Mario Armas/AFP
The bodies were discovered after unknown gunmen attacked a rehabilitation centre, killing four people and injuring five the same municipality on October 2,
Crime rates have increased in Guanajuato, according to local officials.
“This month of October has started with very high crime rates here. That makes 16 people (murdered) so far,” Salamanca Mayor Cesar Prieto told reporters.
In Celaya, Guanajuato, two police officers were shot dead by the brutal Santa Rosa de Lima gang amid increased attacks on authorities.
18 police officers in Celaya have been killed, making the city, which has a population of half a million, one of the most dangerous places for law enforcement.
Two cartels, the Santa Rosa de Lima and the Jalisco New Generation, are currently engaged in a turf war over control of drug routes and territory in Guanajuato and neighboring areas.
Both crime syndicates are notorious for their violent tactics, including kidnappings, murders, and confrontations with law enforcement.
This violence has led to significant bloodshed in Guanajuato, making it one of the most dangerous states in Mexico.
The Mexican government has launched multiple operations to dismantle the cartel, including arrests of its leaders and key operatives.
The leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima, José Antonio Yépez Ortiz, otherwise known as “El Marro,” was arrested by authorities in Guanajuato in August 2020, which was a major blow to the cartel’s leadership.
“El Marro” translates to the sledgehammer or mallet.
The Jalisco New Generation cartel is known for cannibalizing some victims during the training of new sicarios or members, as well as deploying drones and rocket-propelled grenades to target people.
Jalisco New Generation is also known for trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine.
Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is set to present her national security plan on October 8 to combat gang violence.
Sheinbaum won a landslide victory and became the first-ever woman to assume Mexico’s presidency and leadership.
Elsewhere, the United States announced it was seizing assets belonging to two transnational gangs known for trafficking fentanyl and people into the country—the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel and Colombian Clan Del Golfo (CDG).
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