The bar, called "El Venadito," is in the center of Jerez, a municipality about 36 miles southwest of the state capital city of Zacatecas. The news came almost as fast as the bullets were fired: a judge murdered in cold blood; cartel members attempting a prison break; five people killed at a bar in a popular port city. There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Chiapas state, which includes tourist areas in:Palenque, San Cristobal de las Casas,andTuxtla Gutierrez. The federal Public Safety Department said a man drove the truck onto the plaza, then exited the vehicle and walked away down an alley. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Aguascalientes state Exercise Increased Caution. Three men were dragged out of the bar by the armed group. In Guadalajara, territorial battles between criminal groups take place in tourist areas. According to the first versions, the events occurred after an armed attack when individuals tried to stop the vehicle in which the Colombians were traveling, but the driver continued on. Authorities say the gang is waging a violent campaign to take control of drug-trafficking routes. The incidents are part of a deadly uptick in violence in recent months as cartels fight for control of drug trafficking in the region. Theyre here, theyre present, they do patrols, but what we really need right now is to be fighting organized crime, Mr. Monreal said. Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador acknowledged on Friday there were security problems in the region, but said his administration was making progress in the fight against crime. Caught in the middle of the fighting are residents like Guadalupe. Zacatecas, which has one of the highest per-capita homicide rates in Mexico, is a key transit point for drugs moving north to the U.S. border, especially the powerful synthetic painkiller. On Tuesday a shooting near a kindergarten in Sinaloa state left two dead; a video shared on social media showed children cowering under their desks as their teacher tried to comfort them with the music of Taylor Swift. Zacatecas is a battle ground for the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel New Generation (Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacin - CJNG) and smaller groups with whom each have . Zacatecas Governor David Monreal vila a member of the leftist National Regeneration Movement (Morena) of Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador (AMLO) has been under intense criticism for failing to curb the violence and killings since he assumed office in September 2021. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping. A city of beautiful cathedrals and art museums a lot of beautiful art! Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. In October, the authorities said they had frozen 1,352 bank accounts linked to 14 criminal groups, including powerful drug cartels. The bodies of five men and one woman were found dumped on a roadside in Mexico's north-central state of Zacatecas, prosecutors said Tuesday. Were living in hell, said Victor Pia, who ran for mayor of Fresnillo in the June elections and watched an aide gunned down beside him during a pre-campaign event. Zacatecas state has become a focal point for the violence as powerful organized crime groups compete for the strategically significant region, with highways that head both toward the northern border and the Pacific coast. There were many steps to climb so you do need a certain level of fitness. InSight Crime Analysis This wave of police killings can best be understood in light of the ongoing turf war ravaging Zacatecas and the state's inability to protect its forces. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping. Violent crime and gang activity are common in parts of Morelos state. These include high-traffic tourism areas of border and coastal communities, such asTijuana,Ensenada, andRosarito. We had no problem in terms of crime. The situation is out of control.. Enter your email address to follow Pulse News Mexico and receive notifications of new posts by email. Law enforcement capacity is greater in the tri-city area of Tampico, Ciudad Madero, and Altamira, which has a lower rate of violent criminal activity compared to the rest of the state. Check news sources before traveling to Zacatecas. A vicious Mexican drug cartel has sent another ominous message to its rivals, hanging six bodies from a bridge and a nearby tree in the midst of a violent turf war. My husband and I live in Zacatecas city. Francisco Murillo, the state's chief prosecutor, said seven of the 10 bodies had been autopsied and all died of "asphyxiation by strangulation." On July 12, the U.S. Department of State issued a travel advisory urging Americans to reconsider travel to Mexico, including Zacatecas, which the government warned of crime and kidnappings. Were losing the ability to be shocked.. he expressed confidence that peace will be achieved "sooner or later" in Zacatecas, Mexico's eighth . Most of the violence in Zacatecas is caused by the ongoing turf war between the New Generation Jalisco Cartel (CJNG) and the Sinaloa Cartel, experts say. . There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Yucatan state, which include tourist areas in:Chichen Itza,Merida,Uxmal, andValladolid. In the latest incident, authorities said, three bodies were hung from a bridge in the province and three others from a tree. I retired in Zacatecas after living in Wisconsin my entire life, I love it here! Guadalupe has thought about leaving town or even taking her own life. Nuevo Leon state Exercise Increased Caution. "We will do whatever is necessary . Local authorities said 10 of the bodies were discovered in Fresnillo, while the other six were found in General Panfilo Natera, 110km (70 miles) to the southeast. Fresnillo feels to residents overrun by violence and paralyzed by fear, a testament to the failure of Mexicos government to tackle organized crime. Mexico now suffers an average of about 96 murders per day, with nearly 29,000 people killed since Amlo took office. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping. U.S. government employee travel is limited to the following areas with the noted restrictions: U.S. government employees may only travel from Ciudad Juarez to Chihuahua City during daylight hours via Federal Highway 45, with stops permitted only at the Federal Police station, the Umbral del Mileniooverlook area, the border inspection station at KM 35, and the shops and restaurants on Federal Highway 45 in the town of Villa Ahumada. Zacatecas, one of the most violent states in Mexico, registered a 52.2 percent increase in murders from January to November 2021 compared with the same period in 2020, while nationally, the number of murders dropped 2.2 percent during the same period, according to official data published by La Jornada Zacatecas. Read thecountry information pagefor additional information on travel to Mexico. But for much of its recent history, residents say they were largely left alone. There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Quintana Roo state, which include tourist areas in:Cancun,Cozumel, Isla Mujeres,Playa del Carmen,Tulum, andtheRiviera Maya. Its located in north-central Mexico and had its start as a Spanish mining camp in the mid-16th century. Zacatecas Gov. Mexico (Spanish: Mxico), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America.It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and to the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Of particular concern is the high number of murders in the southern region of the state associated with cartel-related violence. The search for the disappeared points to Mexicos darkest secrets, The sniper rifles flowing to Mexican cartels show a decade of U.S. failure, With its leader in jail, this city cowered to his will, Violent criminal groups are eroding Mexicos authority and claiming more territory, As Mexicos security deteriorates, the power of the military grows, Essential reporting from around the world, Bodies of 10 people, beaten and murdered, dumped in front of governors office in Zacatecas, Mexico. CBS News Poll: How GOP primary race could be Trump v. Trump fatigue, Debt ceiling: Biden calls congressional leaders to meet, Illinois highway pile-up causes multiple deaths, police say, Fish contaminated with "forever chemicals" found in nearly every state, Missing teens may be among 7 found dead in Oklahoma, authorities say, Debt ceiling standoff heats up over veterans' programs, U.S. tracking high-altitude balloon first spotted off Hawaii, Third convoy of American evacuees from Sudan reaches safety, The weirdest items passengers leave behind in Ubers, Mexico villages arm kids to fight cartels, Armed kids shine light on Mexico's drug cartel violence. President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador has been unable to significantly reduce homicides in Mexico. There was evidence the deaths in the remote township of Valparaiso resulted from a confrontation between gunmen from the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, she said. Zacatecas is a city and municipality in Mexico, and the capital and largest city of the state of Zacatecas. Criminal organizations are based in and operating in Sinaloa. As Mexicos military went on the offensive, the body count sky-rocketed to new heights and tens of thousands were forced from their homes, disappeared or killed. Zacatecas, once dominated by the old Zetas cartel, is being fought over by a dizzying number of cartels. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide . Gov. 2022 The Associated Press. Thirty-seven (37) attractions and sixteen (16) museums not bad for a place I had never heard of, I had no idea. Authorities said the kidnappers left road spikes in the path of oncoming police to evade pursuit. Exercise Increased Caution When Traveling To: Exercise Normal Precautions When Traveling To: Visit our website forTravel to High-Risk Areas. There are no other travel restrictions for U.S. government employees in Baja California state. Country Summary: Violent crime - such as homicide, kidnapping, carjacking, and robbery - is widespread and common in Mexico. Mr. Monreal was re-elected during national midterms in June. But the violence went on. Zacatecas, the state Fresnillo is in, has the country's highest murder rate, with 122 deaths in June, according to the Mexican government. So far, police have a partial identification on four of the bodies. Coahuila state Exercise Increased Caution. Then the bodies of the executed were dumped in city streets. Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping. First published on January 30, 2023 / 6:20 AM. Among other strategies, Mr. Lpez Obrador has focused on tackling what he sees as the root causes of violence, funding social programs to improve education and employment for young people. Mexicos war on drugs began in late 2006 when the president at the time, Felipe Caldern, ordered thousands of troops onto the streets in response to an explosion of horrific violence in his native state of Michoacn. Police forces work at the scene as they remove a vehicle (on the flat-bed truck) in which 10 bodies were found, left by unknown assailants in front of the Government Palace, in Zacatecas, Mexico, January 6, 2022. U.S. citizens and LPRs have been victims of kidnapping. MEXICO CITY, Mexico Mexico's organized crime violence has burst into full view in recent days, as police in the north-central state of Zacatecas reported finding 14 bodies dumped on a . She can remember sitting on the stoop with neighbors until midnight as a young girl. Guanajuato state due to crime and kidnapping. Those jockeying for turf in Zacatecas include the Sinaloa, Jalisco, Gulf and Northeast cartels as well as remnants of the Zetas. increasingly relied on the armed forces to tackle the violence. Lpez Obrador, or Amlo as most call him, vowed to attack the social roots of crime,offering vocational trainingto more than 2.3 million disadvantaged young people at risk of being ensnared by the cartels. Murillo said that of the five bodies identified so far, three had been detained previously on drug or robbery charges. It terrifies me, Pia said of the violence. The bullet-ridden bodies of 18 men were discovered after an apparent gun battle between suspected drug cartels in Zacatecas state in northern Mexico, authorities said on Friday. Taxi is a safe way of getting around. In November of last year, Lpez Obrador visited Zacatecas, in a show of support to Monreal vila, and promised the governor that he would deploy a large contingent of federal armed forces to the state. There are no restrictions on travel for U.S. government employees in Veracruz state. This lack of police presence has led to the growing insecurity in many of the municipalities.