Deaths are Piling Up in Northern Mexico as 13 Bodies are Discovered in SUVs, and Funeral Attack Kills 5

On October 6, 2020, Mexican authorities revealed that 13 bodies were discovered in two SUVs in northern Mexico. Additionally, the authorities reported on a separate shooting attack on a funeral that claimed the lives of five people and wounded four others.

Fox 40 suggested that the violence “appears to be part of bloody turf battles involving the Jalisco cartel that has left dozens dead in recent weeks.”

According to prosecutors in the northern state of San Luis Potosi, the bodies of 11 men and two women were discovered on October 5 in two SUVs roadside next to the border with the neighboring state of Zacatecas.

At the scene of the crime, prosecutors revealed that drug gangs left hand-written messages that the Jalisco cartel signed off on. One of the vehicles used in this incident had a license plate from the state of Jalisco.

Traditionally, the Zeta cartel dominated the state of Zacatecas. However, the game has changed with the rise of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) — one of the faster growing cartels in the country. The Sinaloa cartel has become very active in this region as well.

In the state of Guanajuato, Mexico’s most violent state, local authorities stated that five people were killed and wounded on October 5 during a shooting attack on a funeral in the town of Jaral del Progreso.

According to law enforcement reports, the victims were present at a funeral to mourn the victim of a shooting that happened previously.

On September 27, armed assailants killed 11 people at a bar in Jaral del Progreso. At first glance, it’s unclear if the person being mourned at the aforementioned funeral was a victim in the previous attack. Officials believe that the attack appears to be a drug gang killing.

These killings seem to be an almost weekly occurrences in Mexico, which has been hit hard by violence in recent years. For example, nearly 35,000 people were murdered in 2019. Mexico is institutionally on the ropes, and unfortunately, it borders the U.S.

The U.S. must be proactive in its efforts to keep Mexico’s instability in check by walling off the country and prioritizing border security.