Gang violence continues, Guerrero state plunges into chaos again

The Guerrero State Security Department (Mexico) announced on October 24 that 7 people were killed in a shootout that occurred that morning between a drug gang and military forces.

Mexican marines supervise the destruction of hundreds of kilograms of cocaine seized in the port city of Veracruz, January 2018. (Source: AFP)

Among the victims were three police officers and four civilians.

The incident began at around 4am when an armed group moved through the city of Tecpan de Galeana and opened fire, killing two police officers on patrol.

The clashes then spread to several areas, leaving one more police officer and four civilians dead.

Guerrero state Governor Evelyn Salgado Pineda immediately mobilized the army and the Mexican National Guard to intervene.

By 8:30 a.m., the authorities had controlled the situation, arrested 5 suspects, and seized many weapons, ammunition, and related vehicles.

On the same day, two consecutive car bombs occurred in Guanajuato state. The explosion in front of the police station in the city of Acámbaro injured three police officers, one of whom is in critical condition.

The second explosion in the city of Jerécuaro caused no casualties but serious property damage. The incidents are believed to have been carried out by drug gangs fighting over territory.

Previously, in the city of Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero state, Mexican public opinion was shaken after Mayor Alejandro Arcos, who advocated against gang violence, was murdered on October 6, just 6 days after taking office.

Gang violence has long been a problem in many parts of Mexico, with more than 450,000 people murdered and tens of thousands missing. The government has deployed the military to wage war on drug cartels since 2006.

There are about 40 gangs operating across Guerrero state, many of which were once branches of larger transnational criminal syndicates such as the Zetas and the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO).

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/mexico-bao-luc-bang-dang-tiep-dien-bang-guerrero-lai-chim-trong-hon-loan-291306.html