In a brutal Sunday attack that has shocked the nation, gunmen opened fire on civilians at a community football pitch in Salamanca, central Mexico, leaving at least 11 dead and a dozen more wounded. The assault occurred in the Loma de Flores neighborhood as families socialized following a local match.
Eyewitnesses described a coordinated assault, with armed assailants arriving in multiple vehicles before unleashing indiscriminate gunfire on the crowd. The sound of approximately 100 shots echoed through the area as panicked victims sought cover. Among the deceased were at least one woman and one child, highlighting the attack’s particularly cruel nature.
The massacre occurred in Guanajuato state, which recorded Mexico’s highest murder rate last year. This region has become a battleground for violent criminal organizations, particularly those engaged in fuel theft from state-run oil company Pemex. Salamanca itself hosts a major Pemex refinery, making it a frequent target for gang violence.
Analysts identify the escalating conflict between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Cartel de Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL) as the primary driver of brutality in the region. These groups engage in diverse criminal enterprises including drug trafficking, extortion, and sophisticated fuel theft operations that involve hijacking tanker trucks and tapping pipelines.
The violence extends beyond Mexico’s borders, with both cartels maintaining significant operations in the United States. This transnational threat prompted the U.S. State Department to designate CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and impose sanctions on CSRL.
The incident has intensified concerns about cross-border security cooperation. Just days before the attack, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum extradited 37 high-impact suspects to the United States, a move interpreted as effort to strengthen bilateral counter-narcotics collaboration and potentially deter unilateral U.S. actions against cartels operating on Mexican soil.
Local and federal security forces have launched a comprehensive investigation into the massacre, though the specific motive behind this particular attack remains unclear. The shooting follows multiple violent incidents in Salamanca just one day prior, which resulted in five additional deaths and one abduction, underscoring the region’s deteriorating security situation.