When El Chapo was arrested in early 2016, Mexicos president bragged: Mission accomplished. In 2020, three hotspots for organized crime activity and violent crime in Mexico are Chihuahua, Guanajuato and Michoacan. The Old School Zetas are currentlyconcentratedin northern Veracruz with a sporadic presence in other states in the northern and eastern parts of the country, such as Nuevo Len, Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Zacatecas, San Luis Potos and Quintana Roo. You can admit that the police here are very heavily armed. You can also consider a trip to Nogales, Mexico, as long as you take every caution and never travel alone. The group took the name "Old School" because they would stay true to the Zetas "original business" of drug trafficking, refraining from other predatory criminal activities, such as kidnapping, extortion and oil theft. Drug trafficking is a federal offense in Mexico, but Chihuahua authorities are going after drug gangs on homicide, attempted murder and kidnapping. At the moment, the Talibanes are reportedly allied with the Sinaloa Cartel in Zacatecas, battling the CJNG for control of drug routes there.The Talibanes were reportedly behind a failed assassination attempt against San Luis Potos congressman Pedro Carrizales, several decapitated bodies left in front of municipal offices in Zacatecas and threats to several mayors and police officers in the state, according to scar Balderas, a journalist and expert on organized crime in Mexico. Aside from the high crime rate in Mexico, we also have to consider Covid restrictions right now. Copyright 2023 JUSTICE IN MEXICO |All rights reserved. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); All Rights Reserved The Yucatan Times 2020. A good part of these atrocities are perpetrated by people who are not part of criminal organizations. Mexico has a bit of a bad rep when it comes to crime and whatnot. 2023 Copyright by Travel Safe - Abroad. The Chihuahua state attorney general's office said Villalobos was driving a white 2018 Ford Lobo Platinum pickup when he was fatally shot at 7:35 a.m. Friday on Avenida de las Torres. SEE ALSO: Why the Jalisco Cartel Does Not Dominate Mexico's Criminal Landscape. It might seem that 2022 is starting off with important positive news about the crime and security situation in Mexico. Much of the recent fighting has raged around the strategic rural municipality of Aguililla, not far from the border of Jalisco, the home state of the Jalisco cartel. Also in June a federal judge sentenced the former mayor of Chinipas, Chihuahua, Hugo Amed Schultz Alcaraz, to eight years in prison for his role in the 2017 murder of Miroslava Breach, a prominent La Jornada newspaper correspondent who reported on organized crime and corruption. Enfrentamientos entre los crteles de Jurez y Sinaloa dejan 19 muertos en Chihuahua., Coria Rivas, Carlos. Security experts have referred to Juarez as a huge parking lot for drugs waiting to be crossed into the United States. 02/22/21 (written by rramos) -A recent string of deadly attacks in various locations throughout western Chihuahua may indicate that organized crime groups linked to two of Mexico's most prominent drug cartels the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jurez Cartel are intensifying their struggle for control of the region's diverse range of illicit activities. In February 2021, various media outlets reported that the Attorney Generals Office was aware of a meeting between members of the CJNG and La Lnea, presumably to discuss an alliance to combat the Sinaloa Cartel. This capital city of Baja California Sur, with its rugged beaches and incredible beaches, does require travelers to be careful and be aware of their surroundings. As with other cities in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, the crime rate here continues to rise, mostly due to rival drug cartels operating in this area. Although several of its leaders were arrestedbetween 2019 and 2020, the organization has continued to survive and was recently listed by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as an active heroin trafficking group with links in the United States. One of the crime scenes in Chihuahua on Monday. Both groups have been linkedto thedisappearancesof 43 student students in Ayotzinapa and high levels of violence inGuerreroandMorelos. It has participated in violent clashes against former allies - including the Northeast Cartel, Grupo Sombra and CJNG. They also said violence has flared up in the city because gangs working for the cartels are getting paid in drugs instead of cash and are selling those in city neighborhoods. From the golden beaches of the Pacific coast to the ivory-white sands of the Yucatan, the mystical temples of Chichen Itza to the taquerias of Mexico City, the hills of Oaxaca to the tequila-soaked villages of Jalisco, theres loads to get through. Do not get in cars without taxi signs, it may be unsafe. Today, the Viagrass activitiesare primarily concentratedon methamphetamine trafficking and extortion, with its most important rival being the CJNG. The border state of Chihuahua is Mexico's second-largest marijuana producer behind Sinaloa, accounting for 20 percent of production nationwide, according to a 2016 report by a Universidad Autnoma de Madrid (UAM) researcher analyzing drug cultivation. They kill people because they want to sell drugs. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar signed an agreement with mayors of six cities in Chihuahua, with the goal of preventing violent crime. One high-ranking lieutenant in a local faction that is currently non-aligned in the conflict said his groups attempts to take on the United Cartels had failed because of the groups powerful political connections. The organization primarily operates in the states of Zacatecas and San Luis Potos, where Velzquez Caballero earned his nickname El Talibn in reference to his habit of using a machete to decapitate his enemies and extortion victims who didn't pay their quotas. But Calderns policies largely survived, with authorities targeting prominent cartel leaders such as Sinaloas Joaqun El Chapo Guzmn. It is designed in the Spanish Baroque style and is in the form of a Latin cross. They are making people choose sides so that people protect them, tell them when [enemy operatives] enter the area, offering small material benefits such as food parcels in exchange. (Revisited). Since campaign season officially began on 7 September last year, 69 politicians, including 22 candidates, have been assassinated across the country. The Salazar is believed to have started in Sonora in the early1990sby Adn Salazar Zamorano, aconfidantof Joaqun Guzmn, alias "El Chapo." Mexico's process of criminal fragmentation has been a slow burn. The Talibanesis an armed group from Tamaulipas, created by Ivn Velzquez Caballero, alias El Talibn or Z-50. The former Zetas operator broke away from the organization in 2012 to challenge the leadership of brothers Miguel ngel and Omar Trevio also known as "Z-40" and "Z-42.". February 1, 2021. It remains unclear who assumed leadership in their absence. According to a press releaseissued in 2014 by the former leader of the organization, Servando Gmez, alias La Tuta, the Viagras acted as the armed wing of the Knights Templar to combat the Guerreros Unidos over the last decade. Dvila, Patricia. InSight Crime has reported that this cell has operated independently since its inception, even taxing the Jurez and Sinaloa cartels to move their merchandise through the Jurez Valley. "This can be a historic moment because it can mark a new start in ensuring our people can live without fear . The Salazars use of threats and violence has been directed at other criminal groups and toward journalists and public officials. Now were not sating dont go to Mexico. Since 2010, however, the overall level of violence in Chihuahua diminished. Drug trafficking is a federal offense in Mexico, but Chihuahua authorities are going after drug gangs on homicide, attempted murder and kidnapping. In fact, current levels of violence in state are still far below levels experienced during 2008-2012, when the Jurez and Sinaloa Cartels battled for control of the lucrative Jurez corridor. The level of crime and violence still is high in Chihuahua. Located around an hour from the Pacific coast, the city of Culiacn is the capital city of the Sinaloa Mexican state. The fighting goes hand-in-hand with the struggle for political power. Please support our mission investigating organized crime. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article. iolent clashes between rival Mexican criminal groups and their alleged allies in the security forces are escalating ahead of mid-term elections in June, triggering a string of political assassinations and the forced displacement of thousands. These three states each reported over 2,000 murders in 2019, and are . According to authorities south of the border, 1,646 people were murdered in Juarez in 2020, with 192 victims being women. State and federal security forces have actively colluded with and even fought alongside the warring factions, according to local civilians, civil society activists and gunmen from various factions. April 5, 2020. The border state of Chihuahua, Mexico is confronting a resurgence of violent crime, but the fight seems more about local revenue streams than international trafficking routes. It is not a recommended place for women solo travel. Five of the six most murderous cities on the planet are here. Mexico now suffers an average of about 96 murders per day, with nearly 29,000 people killed since Amlo took office. An October 2019 ambush in El Aguaje another town in Aguililla left 13 state police dead. Many of these killings appear to be hits targeting individual victims. With neither side able to impose its designs on the other or willing to back down, more than 15,500 homicides have been recorded here from January 2011 to February this year. Following his arrest, armed men attacked the police station in the Carach municipality. The major drug cartel in the area is the hyper-violent Zetas group. In August 2020 a federal judge sentenced Juan Carlos "El Larry . Culiacn has in fact become the hotbed of the largest drug traffickers Mexico has ever known. But as well as engaging in pitched gun battles, criminal factions are also confronting each other on the electoral field. The area has long been vitally important for drug trafficking, with much of it located within the so-called Golden Triangle, a vast territory straddling the states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and Durango that is known for its widespread cultivation of opium poppy. The city has seen a surge of violence caused by drug trafficking, land rights and social triggers, historical ones and institutional ones. According to the Los Angeles Times, the biggest concern for travelers is the fact that some of the homicides are taking place close to airports. Today, the group is part of the Crteles Unidos, a criminal alliance in the crucial Tierra Caliente region, which seeks to stop the CJNG's incursion in the area. We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Sadly, theres no shortage of them. One officer was killed and two were injured in an attack that mirrored a similar incident in the same area one week earlier. The logistics company DHL Express Mexico. Over the course of this conflict, the Viagras have even attacked state security forces. The governor said all four major organized crime investigations last year and one this year were done by state police officers and turned over to federal authorities. These are messages that rival criminal groups utilize [] They think that by decapitating, dismembering or burning the bodies, their rivals will be afraid (of them), the state official said. Our work is costly and high risk. Body parts have been found in trash bags, suitcases, garbage cans and in coolers. But its decade-long attempt to take over the region has so far been frustrated by the local opponents deep political and social roots. Since then, its men have been going door to door. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar signed an agreement with mayors of six cities in Chihuahua, with the goal of preventing violent crime, building citizen trust in Mexican police forces and reducing corruption. EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) - The state of Chihuahua leads Mexico in a grim category: the number of murder or assault victims involving beheading, mutilation, torture, burning and other forms of extreme violence. Click here to get an offer for travel insurance. Caldern hoped to smash the drug cartels with his heavily militarized onslaught but the approach was counter-productive and exacted a catastrophic human toll. Required fields are marked *. Much of the city is very modern and has plenty to see. Blindan minera contra el hampa en Chihuahua. La Jornada. The Tijuana New Generation Cartel (Cartel Tijuana Nueva Generacin - CTNG) is a Baja California-based criminal group that traffics heroin, cocaine, marijuana and synthetic drugs into the United States over the border crossing in Tijuana. Mexican crime data is available from police investigations (SESNSP) and also, in the case of homicides, from death certificates (INEGI). People are also out late in the clubs in Ciudad Jurez for that matter. FWIW, I hear gunfire every weekend in Memphis, TN. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. According to La Jornada, FGE officials determined that several armed individuals ambushed the victims as they were traveling on a remote road linking the rural communities of Santsimo de Arriba and Santsimo de Abajo. McDermotts words were republished around the world,, Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafo, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. Simultaneously Caldern also began pursuing the so-calledkingpin strategyby which authorities sought to decapitate the cartels by targeting their leaders. EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) The state of Chihuahua leads Mexico in a grim category: the number of murder or assault victims involving beheading, mutilation, torture, burning and other forms of extreme violence. Opposing criminal groups collaborate with different factions of the state in different geographical areas, leveling out advantages and perpetuating deadly violence. If you want to find a taxi - choose a car with a sign-on roof or sides. The Sinaloa Cartel, for instance, has been allied with groups such as Los Artisas Asesinos and Los Mexicles, while the Jurez Cartel has its own enforcement arm, La Lnea, as well as an alliance with the street and prison gang Barrio Azteca. If the value is 0, it means it is perceived as very low, and if the value is 100, it means it is perceived as very high. Really, its all down to the geography. Thats one stat. The number of kidnappings reported in Chihuahua in 2016 is around 7 percent of the level recorded in 2011. There are violent street gangs that control neighborhoods and fight each other.". January 28, 2021. Their main rivals are other BLO splinter groups, particularly the Guerreros Unidos. Those who do not comply are driven out of town or killed. Alba, Maribel. (Courtesy of the Chihuahua State Attorney General's Office) MS13 members seeking to escape the gang's strongholds in Central America, or disappear off the radar, often flee to Mexico. As far as current travel restrictions go, however, Forbes reported that travelers will have to fly into Mexico at the moment as the land border with the US is still closed to all non-essential travel. According to the testimonies, this area called the Golden Triangle is controlled by theSinaloa Cartelfor the planting of poppies and marijuana, the same space that, according to reports, is in dispute with the now calledNew Juarez Cartel. Chihuahua, (October 12, 2021).- The Chihuahua Attorney General's Office reported on a confrontation between two criminal groups presented last Sunday in the municipality of Guadalupe y Calvo. La Lnea began life as anarmed wingof the Jurez Cartel, intended to help the organization defend its border territories in and around Ciudad Jurez in the state of Chihuahua, right next to El Paso, Texas. This month alone, 77 people have been murdered in Juarez, including 21 this past weekend. Level 3: Baja California (Norte) has been added this year to the list of states for which visitors are advised to "reconsider travel" because of crime. The alert issued on Friday advises U.S. citizens to avoid traveling . People are out and about late at night like any city in the US. CJNG Control of Illegal Mining in Michoacn, Mexico, Claiming Indigenous Lives, Fishermen Call for Aid Against Illegal Fishing in Yucatn, Mexico, InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press, World Looks to InSight Crime for Mexico Expertise. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article. The family was ambushed by an armed group while traveling from the town of Bavispe in Sonora state to Galeana in Chihuahua state between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time, according to Mexico's . Many are splinters of old cartel structures, maintaining previous allegiances, while others were once dedicated oil thieves or drug transporters who gradually leveled up. Mueren 17 por choque entre crteles en Sierra Tarahumara., Dvila, Patricia. Why the Jalisco Cartel Does not Dominate Mexico & # x27 ; s criminal Landscape injured in an that! 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