Home / Crime and Justice / Mexico Football Pitch Massacre: 11 Dead, 12 Hurt
Mexico Football Pitch Massacre: 11 Dead, 12 Hurt
26 Jan
Summary
- Gunmen opened fire at a football pitch in Salamanca, Mexico, killing 11.
- The attack occurred during a social gathering after a local match.
- Guanajuato state, where Salamanca is located, has the highest murder rate in Mexico.
On Sunday, a brutal shooting at a football pitch in Salamanca, central Mexico, claimed the lives of at least 11 individuals and left another dozen injured. Witnesses reported that armed assailants arrived in multiple vehicles and indiscriminately fired upon attendees who were socializing after a local football match. Among the victims were at least one woman and one child.
The state of Guanajuato, where Salamanca is situated, recorded the highest number of homicides across Mexico last year, underscoring the severity of the ongoing violence. This incident follows a series of violent events in Salamanca the previous day, which resulted in five deaths and one abduction.
Guanajuato is experiencing a surge in criminal activity driven by gangs involved in oil and fuel theft, drug trafficking, and extortion. The presence of a major Pemex refinery in Salamanca makes it a frequent target for violent gang-related attacks, often attributed to rivalries between cartels such as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Cartel de Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL).
These criminal enterprises extend their operations beyond Mexico, with smuggled fuel and illicit drugs contributing to violence in the United States. The US has taken measures against these cartels, designating the CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and imposing sanctions on the CSRL. The US administration has prioritized combating drug trafficking and has previously expressed concerns about cartels operating within Mexico.
