Understanding the cartel violence in Baja California
Criminal gangs have caused chaos in several cities across Mexico
Over the last week, criminal gangs have caused chaos in several cities across Mexico, including Tijuana, where on Friday a warning circulated on social media telling residents to stay home or risk being attacked. Here's everything you need to know:
Where is this violence taking place?
Earlier last week, "roaming bands of criminals" set fire to buses, cars, and businesses and put up roadblocks on major streets in the Jalisco and Guanajuato states, the Los Angeles Times reports, leaving one person dead and at least 24 Oxxo convenience stores torched. In the northern border town of Ciudad Juárez, two people were killed on Thursday in a prison riot between members of the Los Chapos and Los Mexicles groups. Ricardo Mejía, Mexico's deputy security minister, told reporters that it isn't clear why the groups clashed, but in retaliation, members of Los Mexicles went on a rampage across Juárez, killing at least nine people, including four radio station employees and a 12-year-old who was shot at a Circle K store.
The violence hit Baja California on Friday. In Tijuana, the streets emptied after the Jalisco New Generation Cartel allegedly posted messages online warning people that if they were caught outside, they could get attacked. "Be warned," the message said. "As of Friday at 10 p.m. through Sunday at 3 a.m., we're going to create mayhem so the ... government frees our people." Officials said roadblocks were put up around the state and at least 24 vehicles were hijacked and then set on fire. U.S. government employees were instructed by the consulate in Tijuana to shelter in place until further notice — the order was lifted on Sunday — and cruise ships skipped docking at Ensenada.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
How are civilians responding?
These brutal incidents shocked Mexicans, with Adrián López, director of the Noroeste newspaper, tweeting, "The Mexican state has been overrun and can no longer protect its citizens." In the wake of the violence, many people in Juárez decided against opening their stores over fears that there would be more attacks. The same thing happened in Tijuana, with businesses closed and events canceled, but by Sunday most establishments were once again in operation.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador told reporters on Friday that it was unusual for these attackers to target civilians since gangs usually focus on fighting each other. "This is something that hadn't presented itself before and hopefully won't be repeated, because they attacked the civilian population, innocents, as a type of retaliation," López Obrador said.
What is behind this surge in violence?
Authorities say the attacks in Jalisco and Guanajuato were sparked by Jalisco cartel leaders angry that police have arrested members and are planning to capture more. It's possible they are also enraged by the recent increase in seizures of fentanyl and meth labs. "Random acts of violence create chaos and create fear and allow you to gain a tactical advantage over the authorities and your rivals," Mexican security analyst Alejandro Hope told the Times. It's believed the cartel was likely behind the violence in Baja California as well. Officials still do not know what caused Los Chapos and Los Mexicles members to start fighting at the prison in Juárez.
What is being done to stop future attacks?
In Tijuana, hundreds of additional troops and dozens of national guard members are now in the city to support the local police force, and officials say 36 people linked to the violence have been arrested, including three members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, NBC News reports. Local business owners are hopeful that this spate of violence is over, and are worried that if tourists stop coming to Tijuana, they won't be able to survive. "We are 100 percent dependent on tourism," souvenir stand owner Omar Garcia told The Associated Press. "If they get scared, they don't come."
What is the government saying?
The government does not agree with some who called these acts of violence terrorism, with Interior Secretary Adán Augusto López saying, "You don't have to exaggerate facts." López Obrador stated on Monday that "there is no big problem" with security in Mexico, adding, "I don't know if there was a connection, a hidden hand, if this had been set up. What I do know is that our opponents, the corrupt conservatives, help in the black propaganda." Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval had a different outlook, saying the cartels are angry because they have been weakened. "They want to still feel like they're strong and they generate violent situations where by way of publicity they send messages that they are still strong," he said.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
4 ways to give back this holiday season
The Explainer If your budget is feeling squeezed, remember that money is not the only way you can be generous around the holidays
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
4 tips for hosting an ecofriendly Thanksgiving
The Week Recommends Coming together for the holidays typically produces a ton of waste, but with proper preparation, you can have an environmentally friendly gathering.
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The safety of Israeli nationals abroad
In the Spotlight Israel's president described violent riots and attacks on Israelis after Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv match as an 'antisemitic pogrom'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
FBI: US violent crime falls again, hits pre-Covid levels
Speed Read A wide-ranging report found that violent crime dropped 3% in the last year, while murder dropped 11.6%
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Mexico's avocado militias
Under The Radar The country supplies around 80% of the avocados eaten in the US but they have now been branded 'blood diamonds'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
A Mexican cartel is trapping unsuspecting tourists in a timeshare scam
Under the Radar Thousands of people have reportedly fallen victim to the scams over the last few years
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The #MeToo movements around the world
The Explainer French men have been sharing stories of abuse in the latest calling out of sexual assault and harassment
By The Week Staff Published
-
Death in rural France: a murder that inflamed a nation
Under the radar
By The Week UK Published
-
3 Palestinian American college students shot in Vermont in possible hate crime
Speed Read The men were wounded on the street by a lone gunman during a Thanksgiving visit to Burlington
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Would rescheduling cannabis be good news for the industry?
Speed Read Following President Joe Biden's request, the HHS recommended that cannabis be moved to a less lethal category, and some experts are weary of the move
By Theara Coleman Published