Mexico: at least 19 dead in clashes between drug traffickers in the south

Steph Deschamps / July 13,

At least 19 people were killed in Mexico, including four Guatemalans, in a clash between two drug cartels in the southern state of Chiapas, the Ministry of Security announced on Monday, revising its death toll downwards.

In a freight truck, "14 men were found murdered by firearms, two others in the cab, two on the side and another about 100 meters away", he said in a statement, which had previously put the death toll at 20.

The events took place last Friday in the town of La Concordia, a few hours' drive from the border with Guatemala.

According to the Ministry, initial investigations point to a "confrontation" between the Sinaloa cartel, one of the country's most powerful, and a rival faction identified as the "Chiapas and Guatemala cartel".

The authorities point out that the two criminal groups "vie for control of this border area" and according to the press release, "it has been established that at least four of the deceased were carrying identity cards issued by the Guatemalan government".

Cartel-related violence has left some 450,000 people dead and over 100,000 missing in Mexico since 2006, when then-President Felipe Calderon (2006-2012) launched a military offensive against drug trafficking.

In June, Mexican authorities transferred more than 4,000 people who had fled to shelters after several days of violence linked to organized crime in the town of Tula, some 100 km north of La Concordia

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Mexico: at least 19 dead in clashes between drug traffickers in the south

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