One of the crime scenes in Chihuahua on Monday. But theres one problem: hes, Last week, InSight Crime published an analysis of the role of Amsterdams Schiphol Airport as an arrival hub for cocaine and methamphetamine from Mexico. Having operated as an independent cell from its inception, the Viagras are now one of the most dominant criminal factions in Michoacn's highlands. The 10 other states in that category are. 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 group has established an important presence in Ciudad Jurez, where it has access to routes to the US-Mexico border. 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. Culiacn has in fact become the hotbed of the largest drug traffickers Mexico has ever known. Sadly, theres no shortage of them. And on October 27, gunmen killed seven people at a motel outside of Ciudad Jurez, in a shooting prosecutors said was linked to competition over street-level drug dealing. Recent examples of atrocities in Juarez include the shooting deaths of seven people whose bodies were burned in September. People are also out late in the clubs in Ciudad Jurez for that matter. 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. Data compiled by Causa en Comn, a non-governmental organization, showed that Chihuahuas homicide rate in 2020 stood at roughly 70 homicides per 100,000 habitants, a 5% increase from 2019. Chihuahua is much safer than other cities in that region, but still has issues with cartel killings. She recalled how Lopez Obrador recently responded to a question about police inefficiency by praising the army. 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. The war between the Viagras and CJNG in Michoacn isone of the most intensein the country. Tourists will be impressed in Casa Chihuahua culture and history museum of Chihuahua. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The group is calling for police reform that includes training and accountability, crime-prevention campaigns and expanded and affordable psychological services. Torres, Juan David. Homicide has also been on the rise since 2016, which earns it its nickname as being Mexicos Murder City. Even as violent crime rose in 2016 the state recorded only nine kidnappings. But the battles are not just urban. Many of these killings appear to be hits targeting individual victims. They are leaving because they get caught in the crossfire, because their homes have been destroyed, [and] because the main roads into [the area] have been carved up to stop the advance of the Jaliscos, said Gregorio Lpez, a Catholic priest who has sheltered refuges in the nearby city of Apatzingn. According to El Heraldo de Chihuahua, intelligence divisions of the FGE have assessed that two high-ranking criminals linked to the Sinaloa Cartel have joined forces in a reinvigorated bid to oust Jurez Cartel affiliates from an extensive 300 square kilometer area ranging from Urique up toward Cuauhtmoc. The state Public Security . Morelos state due to crime. The good news is that it is currently open to travel. The Next Generation of Criminal Groups Driving Violence in Mexico, Why the Jalisco Cartel Does Not Dominate Mexico's Criminal Landscape, Fragmentation: The Violent Tailspin of Mexico's Dominant Cartels, MS13s Mexico Program Key to El Salvador Gang Negotiations, Peace Leaders in Putumayo, Colombia Bet Their Lives on Coca Crop Substitution, Pablo Escobar and the Real Criminal Story of the Cocaine Bear, Haitis Rural Gangs Threaten Food Production as Hunger Crisis Looms, Venezuelan Migrants Remain Easy Prey for Organized Crime. August 9, 2020. In a press conference last year, the states governor, Javier Corral, stated that illegal logging has become an important source of revenue for drug trafficking organizations looking to expand their criminal portfolios. The Prosecutors Office assured that more information will be released in the next few hours, as elements ofthe Public Ministrywent to the community to advance the investigation. In the city, a traveler can use taxis services and buses. Although there are no travel restrictions when it comes to La Paz, the crime rate makes most visitors think twice about spending their vacation here. We want to sustain Latin Americas largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources. The CTNG was founded as the Tijuana Cartel was becoming weaker and the CJNG was expanding. Guanajuato state due to crime and kidnapping. Due to drug dealer crimes, the terrorism risk remains high in that region. In 2017 alone, Chihuahua had 460 homicides, a lot if you consider its population of 929,884. It is not a recommended place for women solo travel. Opposing criminal groups collaborate with different factions of the state in different geographical areas, leveling out advantages and perpetuating deadly violence. Criminal operatives in various rival factions, local civilians and activists, agree that the problem of state complicity goes beyond simple inertia. The city is also home to one of Mexicos newest criminal groups, the Cabos, a newer armed group within the CJNG that was spun off from the CTNG. Torres, Juan David. Both men were arrested between July and August 2019. Chihuahua, Mexico: Parral to Jimenez Highway Free of Police Presence. Chihuahua Has 110 murders per 100k which is extremely high. In one particularly dramatic incident on October 12, 2016, a large convoy of heavily armed men near the rural town of Madera confronted police in a gunfight that lasted several hours and left ten dead, including three municipal police. Z-43was arrestedin February 2018 in Mexico City. This rivalry suggests that cells of the same umbrella organization still fight for territorial control. La Lnea has broadened its horizons, reportedly being involved in microtrafficking, synthetic drug trafficking, illegal logging and car theft in Chihuahua. Violent 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. A wave of gang violence left seven people dead, including two police officers, in Ciudad Jurez, Chihuahua, on Monday. A Complete Safety Guide For Travel, Is Mexico Better Than Argentina? Thousands of day and night visitors still cross to enjoy the shopping of Downtown Tijuanaand the party venues of Avenida Revolucion, where you can sample authentic tacos and hit cool bars, not to mention score cheap pharmaceuticals galore. The Jalisco cartel has a long record of attacking state forces. 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. With more than 21,000 posts in local, state and national government up for election including 15 state governorships the 6 June polls are the largest in Mexicos history, and criminal groups see the elections as an opportunity to further their interests. With cartels like the CJNG muscling in on illegal mining in Michoacn, Mexico, Indigenous community members continue to suffer. Today, it appears that the CTNG belongsto the CJNGas a local enforcement wing and drug trafficking logistics provider for the CJNGs operations in Baja California. The most extensive database on organized crime in the Americas. That translates to over 2,300 killings per year and makes the town the most murderous city on the planet by quite some way! A Complete Comparison Guide. The alert issued on Friday advises U.S. citizens to avoid traveling . 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. My gf is from there as well and says the same things, and that women are not as safe there as men are. The Tuscan Sentinal has reported that the US Department of State has warned that non-essential travel to this city should be halted unless the crime rates drop. Alianza entre lderes criminales genera ola de homicidios en la zona occidente. El Heraldo de Chihuahua. Former Chihuahua Deputy Attorney General earlier told Border Report the use of extreme violence by the cartels is meant to intimidate rivals. 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. I have been traveling to the city of Chihuahua several times a year since 2012. Just check where Tijuana is on the map. And in many cases there are signs that the recent wave of attacks is tied to organized crime and local level retail drug dealing. Home to the busiest land border crossing in the world, Tijuana sees more than 50 million people pass through every year. The group wasallegedly founded in Huetamo, Michoacn, by seven brothers of the Sierra Santana family. That is a summary of his non-strategy on public safety. The Viagras have regularly given out gifts and essential items in villages, claiming to be "protecting the population" from the CJNG. According to statistics obtained by InSight Crime from Chihuahua's Attorney General's Office, the state logged a total of 321 murders during the first two months of 2017. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Sometimes you will see a truck with some bored soldiers, but that is it. Data from the Mexican government shows that Chihuahua logged a total of 791 gun murders in 2016, a 40 percent increase over the number of gun murders recorded in the . The constant criminal disputes in Chihuahuas western municipalities have contributed to increased levels of violence in the state overall. NBC News reported that neighboring San Diego is safe, mostly because it is fortified by plenty of law enforcers from the FBI, US Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the US Coast guard, and the US Drug Enforcement Agency. 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. The organization's purportedfounder was Jess Nava Romero, alias El Rojo, a BLO lieutenant that operated the drug trafficking routes from Guerrero to Morelos. January 26, 2021. It was named after the Mexican president, lvaro Obregn. Nevertheless, his organization continues to engage in microtrafficking, extortion, human trafficking and kidnapping, allegedly under the command of his son, Ral, alias El Talibancito.. Bonello, Deborah. 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. Hurricanes also can affect Chihuahua from June to November. Garca Luna faces drug trafficking conspiracy charges in the U.S. Analyzing the Problem of Femicide in Mexico: The Role of Special Prosecutors in Combatting Violence Against Women, Plan B reform bill passed despite backlash from opposition and citizens, Mexicos former security minister found guilty on all counts for drug trafficking, The Inter-American Court for Human Rights Condemns Mexico for Human Rights Abuses, The Garcia Luna Trial: Implications for U.S.-Mexico Relations. Since 2012, Ciudad Jurez has enjoyed major improvements in overall security. Journeying The Globe. Neighbors of the area report that there were several hours of shooting between the armed groups, they also indicated that municipal authorities arrived in the area in a van in which they transported the bodies of the victims. Aside from the high crime rate in Mexico, we also have to consider Covid restrictions right now. 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. Bonello, Deborah. The major drug cartel in the area is the hyper-violent Zetas group. It can be an unsafe cheat. Beyond illicit drugs, western Chihuahua is also a hub for illegal logging and timber trafficking. It will be virtually impossible to achieve peace without justice and [social] welfare, Amlo said, promising to slash the murder rate from an average of 89 killings per day with his hugs not bullets doctrine. But several of them have now been killed or arrested. The most extensive database on organized crime in the Americas. Their presence seems to have a positive effect as crime and murder rates have fallen from 2010. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar signed an agreement with mayors of six cities in Chihuahua, with the goal of preventing violent crime. Chihuahua's State Attorney General Csar Peniche acknowledged last year that "since the start of [2016] an increase in the number of homicides in Ciudad Jurez as well as Chihuahua and other towns has been reflected in the statistics.". Your email address will not be published. Ciudad Obregn Photo by AlejandroHzO/Pixabay If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Police have found at least one dismembered woman in February, June, August and September. The year 2019 saw the end of a brief golden era when local and international forces came together to fight, A look at official homicide statistics provides further evidence for the theory that violence rises in parts of Mexico where, While Mexicos drug war has left much of its frontier with the United States threatened by cartel violence, a fine-tuned. Crime 0 120 58.16 Crime rates in Chihuahua, Mexico Safety in Chihuahua, Mexico Contributors: 34 Last update: December 2022 These data are based on perceptions of visitors of this website in the past 3 years. Mexico's process of criminal fragmentation has been a slow burn. Locals say that some people had been forced to run by a cleansing campaign against those with suspected ties to the United Cartels. After the Salazar leader Del Villar Surez waskilledin August 2019, the group threatened the Sonora governorfor not keeping her promises to the group, the details of which remain unclear. Chihuahua city is the capital of the Mexican state by the same name. 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 . Less touristy than the other resort towns in the Yucatan Peninsula, this town offers great historical structure and is mostly known for its well-preserved Mayan city wall ruins. Asesinan a cinco habitantes del Santsimo de Abajo, en Chihuahua. La Jornada. Best follow traveling advice on how to avoid these animals. (Revisited). Travelers are exposed to being victims of a crime during their journey. Police escorting miners, shipments of materials following cartel robberies and abductions., Villalpando, Rubn. February 1, 2021. Authorities have cited this escalating conflict as the reason behind a recent wave of homicides, kidnappings, and armed attacks in various locations throughout western Chihuahua, such as Uruachi, Basaseachi, Creel, and San Juanito. The violence has continued in 2017. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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