The Independent reported that gunmen killed nine people at a wake in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato on January 7, 2020.

Law enforcement officials in the city of Celaya revealed in a statement that gunmen showed up late that night and began firing on a group of people. The event was held in an impoverished neighborhood where residents mourned a young man who fell to gun fire a few days prior. 

According to David Saucedo, a security analyst based in Guanajuato, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel carried out the attack against the deceased man’s family. The gunmen believed that the family was connected to the competing Santa Rosa de Lima gang, although many may not have connections with the gang. 

“At that wake, a lot of innocent people died,” Saucedo observed. 

Guanajuato is a flashpoint for a violent proxy war between major drug cartels. Since 2017, the Santa Rosa de Lima gang has fended off the fast-rising Jalisco cartel in a bloody turf war. Although law enforcement arrested the leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima gang back in August, the violence has not gone away According to Saucedo, the Sinaloa cartel has intervened in this struggle to keep the Jalisco cartel from securing a foothold in Guanajuato. They’ve sent weapons, financial aid, and gunmen to prop up Santa Rosa de Lima and other local gangs.

With so much drama taking place stateside, we often forget that Mexico is a failed state. Similarly, the outrage stemming from the Wuhan virus pandemic largely overshadowed issues of border security and immigration. However, this should not lessen the importance of the immigration issue. 

As Mexico continues tearing itself apart, America must bolster its border security. Unfortunately, the incoming President Joe Biden is not up to task and will prioritize weak border enforcement and a potential amnesty for illegal aliens. America will suffer greatly as a result.