Timeline of the Mexican Drug War
Encyclopedia
The timeline of the most relevant events in the Mexican Drug War
is set out below. Although violence between drug cartels had been occurring for three decades, the Mexican government held a generally passive stance regarding cartel violence through the 1980s and early 2000s. That changed on December 11, 2006, when the newly elected President Felipe Calderón
sent 6,500 Mexican Army
soldiers to the state of Michoacán
to end drug violence there. This action is regarded as the first major retaliation made against the cartel violence, and is generally viewed as the starting point of the Mexican Drug War
between the government and the drug cartels. As time passed, Calderón continued to escalate his anti-drug campaign, in which there are now about 45,000 troops involved along with state and federal police forces.
For 2007, the drug-related death toll reached 2,477.
For 2008, the drug-related death toll reached 6,290.
For 2009, the drug-related death toll reached 7,724.
For 2010, the drug-related deaths reached 15,273.
Mexican Drug War
The Mexican Drug War is an ongoing armed conflict taking place among rival drug cartels who fight each other for regional control, and Mexican government forces who seek to combat drug trafficking. However, the government's principal goal has been to put down the drug-related violence that was...
is set out below. Although violence between drug cartels had been occurring for three decades, the Mexican government held a generally passive stance regarding cartel violence through the 1980s and early 2000s. That changed on December 11, 2006, when the newly elected President Felipe Calderón
Felipe Calderón
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
sent 6,500 Mexican Army
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
soldiers to the state of Michoacán
Michoacán
Michoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
to end drug violence there. This action is regarded as the first major retaliation made against the cartel violence, and is generally viewed as the starting point of the Mexican Drug War
Mexican Drug War
The Mexican Drug War is an ongoing armed conflict taking place among rival drug cartels who fight each other for regional control, and Mexican government forces who seek to combat drug trafficking. However, the government's principal goal has been to put down the drug-related violence that was...
between the government and the drug cartels. As time passed, Calderón continued to escalate his anti-drug campaign, in which there are now about 45,000 troops involved along with state and federal police forces.
2006
- November 25 – Popular singer Valentín ElizaldeValentín ElizaldeValentín Elizalde Valencia was a Mexican banda music singer gunned down in an ambush. Known by the nickname "El Gallo de Oro" , his biggest Banda hits included "Vete Ya," "Ebrio de Amor", " Vete Con Él", "Vuelve Cariñito", "Como Me Duele", "Vencedor", " Mi Virgencita", and "Soy Así"...
is ambushed and gunned down along with his manager (and best friend) Mario Mendoza Grajeda, and driver Reynaldo Ballesteros, in the border city of ReynosaReynosaReynosa is a border city in the northern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from McAllen, Texas in the United States. As of 2010, the city of Reynosa counts with a population of 607,532...
, across the border from McAllen, TexasMcAllen, TexasMcAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. It is located at the southern tip of Texas in an area known as the Rio Grande Valley and is part of the . Its southern boundary is located about five miles from the U.S.–Mexico border and the Mexican city of Reynosa, the Rio...
. - December 1 – President Felipe CalderónFelipe CalderónFelipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
assumed office and declared war on drug traffickers. He also imposed a cap on salaries of high-ranking public servants and ordered a raise on the salaries of the Federal Police and the Mexican armed forces. - December 11 – Operation MichoacanOperation MichoacanOperation Michoacán is a joint operation by Federal, Police, and Mexican Military, to eliminate drug plantations and to combat drug trafficking...
is launched against the La Familia Michoacana cartel. A total of more than 60 Mexican soldiers and more than 100 police officers, and 500 cartel gunmen are killed in the operation.
2007
- January 2 – Operation Baja CaliforniaOperation Baja CaliforniaOperation Tijuana or Operation Baja California of the Government of Mexico is taking place in Tijuana and the surrounding areas of Baja California...
is launched. - January 20 – Drug lord Osiel Cárdenas Guillén was extradited to the USA.
- March 17 – Drug lord Zhenli Ye GonZhenli Ye GonZhenli Ye Gon is a Mexican businessman of Chinese origin accused of trafficking pseudoephedrine or ephedrine precursor chemicals into Mexico from Asia. He is the legal representative of Unimed Pharm Chem México...
relieved of $213 million USD in Mexico City. - May 14 – Jorge Altriste, head of operations for Mexico's elite police force in TijuanaTijuanaTijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
, was murdered. - December 2 – Popular singer Sergio GómezSergio GómezPaulo Sergio Gómez Sánchez , better known as Sergio Gómez, was a Mexican singer who was the founder and lead vocalist of the duranguense group K-Paz de la Sierra.-Biography:...
is kidnapped and killed. - December 8 – Gerardo García PimentelGerardo García PimentelGerardo Israel García Pimentel was a Mexican journalist and crime reporter.He was shot dead outside his home in Uruapan, Michoacán, after a high-speed car chase....
, a crime reporter, was killed. - December 29 – The entire police force in the town of Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, is disarmed from their weapons after suspicion of collaborating with drug cartels.
For 2007, the drug-related death toll reached 2,477.
2008
- January 1 - The Federal governmentFederal government of MexicoThe federal government of Mexico is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by the Constitution of the United Mexican States to share sovereignty over the United Mexican States with the governments of the 31 individual Mexican states and to represent...
, along with SEDENA, launches the Joint Operation Nuevo León-TamaulipasJoint Operation Nuevo Leon-TamaulipasJoint Operation Nuevo León-Tamaulipas is an anti-drug joint operation in two Mexican states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo León by Federal Police and the Mexican Armed Forces. The objective of the joint operation is to eliminate Los Zetas and Gulf Cartel operations in the area. So far a large number of...
in order to eliminate the operation areas of both the Gulf CartelGulf CartelThe Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
and Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
. - January 21 – Mexican security forces capture drug lord Alfredo Beltrán LeyvaBeltrán-Leyva CartelThe Beltrán-Leyva Cartel was a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate founded by the four Beltrán Leyva brothers: Marcos Arturo, Carlos, Alfredo and Héctor....
. - March 27 - The Federal governmentFederal government of MexicoThe federal government of Mexico is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by the Constitution of the United Mexican States to share sovereignty over the United Mexican States with the governments of the 31 individual Mexican states and to represent...
launches the Operation ChihuahuaOperation ChihuahuaCoordinated Operation Chihuahua or formerly known as Joint Operation Chihuahua is a Military and Federal Police operation started in 2008 by the Mexican Army and Policía Federal Preventiva. The objective is to "besiege" Ciudad Juárez to concentrate forces and saturate the area to confront the three...
to confront the three drug cartels operating in the state. Moreover, Ciudad Juarez'sCiudad JuárezCiudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
violence is among the major concerns in this operation. - April 26 – 15 people are killed in a gun battle between the Tijuana CartelTijuana CartelThe Tijuana Cartel is a Mexican drug cartel based in Tijuana. The cartel has been described as "one of the biggest and most violent criminal groups in Mexico"...
and a rival drug cartel. - May 8 – Acting commissioner of the Federal Police Édgar Eusebio Millán GómezÉdgar Eusebio Millán GómezÉdgar Eusebio Millán Gómez was a third-ranking member of Mexico's Secretariat of Public Security and acting commissioner of the Federal Preventive Police. Born in Mexico City, he received a law degree from the Universidad del Valle de México. After graduating he started his career in the Mexican...
was gunned down in Mexico City. He was the highest-ranking Mexican official killed. - May 9 – Esteban Robles EspinosaEsteban Robles EspinosaEsteban Robles Espinosa was the commander of Mexico City's Investigative Police Force. He headed Mexico City's anti-kidnapping unit until 2003 and served on the internal affairs commission...
, the commander of Mexico's investigative police force, was murdered in Mexico City. - May 13 - The Federal governmentFederal government of MexicoThe federal government of Mexico is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by the Constitution of the United Mexican States to share sovereignty over the United Mexican States with the governments of the 31 individual Mexican states and to represent...
launches the Operation SinaloaOperation SinaloaOperation Sinaloa or Operation Culiacan - Navolato is a ongoing Anti-drug trafficking operation in the Mexican state of Sinaloa by the Federal Police and the Mexican Armed Forces...
to crackdown the Sinaloa CartelSinaloa CartelThe Sinaloa Cartel is the most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the United States Intelligence Community as "the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world." The Sinaloa Cartel is based in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, but also operates in the Mexican states of Baja...
, the Beltrán-Leyva CartelBeltrán-Leyva CartelThe Beltrán-Leyva Cartel was a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate founded by the four Beltrán Leyva brothers: Marcos Arturo, Carlos, Alfredo and Héctor....
, and Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
in the stateSinaloaSinaloa officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 18 municipalities and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales....
. - May 28 – Seven Federal Police agents die in a shootout in Culiacán, Sinaloa.
- May 31 – The United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
announces it is implementing a drug trafficking law to impose financial sanctions on Mexican drug cartels. - June 26 – Police commander Igor Labastida is shot dead in a restaurant in Mexico City.
- June 30 – The Mérida InitiativeMérida InitiativeThe Mérida Initiative is a security cooperation agreement between the United States and the government of Mexico and the countries of Central America, with the declared aim of combating the threats of drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and money laundering...
, a $1.6 USD billion security cooperation agreement between the USA and Mexico, announced on 22 October 2007, was signed into law. - September 13 - In OcoyoacacOcoyoacacOcoyoacac is a town and municipality in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 134.71 km². It is one of the 17 municipalities that border Mexico City...
, 24 bodies were found at a national park called La MarquesaLa Marquesa National ParkLa Marquesa is the common name for the Parque Nacional Insurgente Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, situated west of Mexico City on the toll road heading towards Toluca, the capital of the State of Mexico. It lies in the municipalities of Ocoyoacac, Huixquilucan, and Lerma de Villada in the State of...
; all bodies were shot and showed signs of torture. - September 15 – 2008 Morelia grenade attacks2008 Morelia grenade attacksThe 2008 Morelia grenade attacks took place on 15 September 2008 on the occasion of the Mexican Independence Day anniversary when thousands of people were gathered in the Plaza Melchor Ocampo, the main square of the Mexican city of Morelia, Michoacán...
: eight civilians were killed and more than 100 were injured in Morelia, Michoacán when hand grenadeHand grenadeA hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s were thrown into a crowd. - September 17 – Over 200 people across Mexico, Guatemala, Italy and the United States, including members of the Gulf cartelGulf CartelThe Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
and the 'Ndrangheta are arrested in a major anti-drug trafficking operation called Operation SolareOperation SolareOperation Solare is the Italian name for an anti-drugs operation involving the U.S.A., Mexico, Guatemala and Italy, involving a major Mexican drug cartel, the Gulf Cartel and the 'Ndrangheta mafia from the Calabria region of Italy. In the operation, some 200 people were arrested in Italy and in...
. - October 22 – Police capture boss Jesús Zambada García of the Sinaloa cartelSinaloa CartelThe Sinaloa Cartel is the most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the United States Intelligence Community as "the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world." The Sinaloa Cartel is based in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, but also operates in the Mexican states of Baja...
after a shootout in Mexico City. - October 24 – Mexican criminal investigator Andrés Dimitriadis is shot dead by cartel gunmen (sicarios) in his car on his way home.
- October 26 – The Mexican army captured drug lord Eduardo Arellano FélixEduardo Arellano FélixEduardo Arellano Félix is a Mexican drug trafficker, brother of Benjamín, Ramón, Javier and sister Enedina, all drug traffickers. The Arellano-Félix Organisation, also known as the Tijuana Cartel, has been responsible for countless murders and the smuggling of thousands of tons of marijuana,...
after a shootout in Tijuana. - November 2 – The Federal Police chief Víctor Gerardo Garay resigns amidst claims of corruption. He was arrested and charged on December 10 for protecting the Beltrán-Leyva CartelBeltrán-Leyva CartelThe Beltrán-Leyva Cartel was a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate founded by the four Beltrán Leyva brothers: Marcos Arturo, Carlos, Alfredo and Héctor....
. - November 6 - In Reynosa, Tamaulipas, the Mexican army made the largest weapon seizure in the history of Mexico. The seizure included 288 assault rifles, 126 handguns, 166 grenades, 14 TNT explosives, 500,000 cartridges, over 1,000 ammunition magazines, and a rocket launcher.
- November 7 – The Federal Police arrested Jaime González DuránJaime González DuránJaime González Durán is a Mexican drug trafficker who is one of the 31 original founding members, and he ranked third in the chain of command of the criminal organization known as Los Zetas. A former Mexican Army elite soldier of the Grupo Aeromóvil de Fuerzas Especiales , he was trained in...
in Tamaulipas; he was a founding member of Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
. - November 17 – Rodolfo de la Guardia García, ex-director of Mexico's Interpol office, was arrested and charged of protecting the Beltran-Leyva CartelBeltrán-Leyva CartelThe Beltrán-Leyva Cartel was a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate founded by the four Beltrán Leyva brothers: Marcos Arturo, Carlos, Alfredo and Héctor....
. - November 19 – Mexican InterpolInterpolInterpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
chief Ricardo Gutiérrez Vargas is arrested on suspicion of links with drug cartels. - November 21 – Noé Ramírez MandujanoNoé Ramírez MandujanoNoé Ramírez Mandujano served as the anti-recreational drug chief of Subprocuraduría de Investigación Especializada en Delincuencia Organizada in Mexico from 2006 to August 2008. In late 2008 authorities accused him of taking $450,000 United States dollars in bribes to tip off drug...
, ex-head of Mexico's anti-organized crime agency, is arrested on suspicion of links with drug cartels. - November 30 - Guatemalan and Mexican drug cartels clash on the two countries' border, leaving 18 dead.
- December 10 - Felix BatistaFelix BatistaFelix Batista is a Cuban-American anti-kidnapping expert and former U.S. Army major who has negotiated resolution to nearly 100 kidnapping and ransom cases, dozens of them in Mexico. Batista is a consultant for Houston, Texas-based security firm ASI Global...
, an American anti-kidnapping expert was kidnapped in SaltilloSaltilloSaltillo is the capital city of the northeastern Mexican state of Coahuila and the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. The city is located about 400 km south of the U.S. state of Texas, and 90 km west of Monterrey, Nuevo León....
, CoahuilaCoahuilaCoahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
. - December 21 - Seven off-duty soldiers and one police commander were kidnapped, tortured and decapitated. Their heads were left at a shopping center located in Chilpancingo, Guerrero with a threat note to the military.
For 2008, the drug-related death toll reached 6,290.
2009
- January 2 – Mexican authorities arrested Alberto Espinoza BarronAlberto Espinoza BarronAlberto Espinoza Barrón is a Mexican drug trafficker and the main lieutenant of the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel...
, one of the La Familia Michoacana cartel leaders. - January 6 - Gunmen fired on and threw grenades at the TelevisaTelevisaTelevisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
TV station in MonterreyMonterreyMonterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
during a nightly newscast, causing no injuries. A note left on the scene read: "Stop reporting just on us. Report on the narco's political leaders." - January 22 – Police arrest Santiago Meza, a man who allegedly dissolved 300 bodies of rival drug traffickers for his boss Teodoro García SimentalTeodoro García SimentalTeodoro García Simental is a former lieutenant of the Mexican criminal organization known as the Tijuana Cartel.- Biography :...
. - February 3 – The body of retired General Mauro Enrique Tello Quiñónez, who had been appointed a special drugs consultant to the Benito Juárez municipalityBenito Juárez, Quintana RooBenito Juárez is one of the ten municipalities of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Most of its population reside in the municipal seat, Cancún. It is named after the 19th century president and statesman Benito Juárez.- Location :...
mayor, was found near CancúnCancúnCancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
along with the bodies of his aide and a driver. - February 5 – Police capture trafficker and lieutenant Gerónimo Gámez García in Mexico City.
- February 7 - The Federal governmentFederal government of MexicoThe federal government of Mexico is the national government of the United Mexican States, the central government established by the Constitution of the United Mexican States to share sovereignty over the United Mexican States with the governments of the 31 individual Mexican states and to represent...
, along with SEDENA, launches the Operation Quintana RooOperation Quintana RooOperation Quintana Roo is a Mexican army and Navy Anti - drugtrafficking operation in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The operation began in early February 2009 after the death of former Brigadier General Mauro Enrique Tello Quiñónez and two other men.-Background:On February 3, 2009...
, sending thousands of troops to CancúnCancúnCancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
and several cities within the stateQuintana RooQuintana Roo officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Quintana Roo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 10 municipalities and its capital city is Chetumal....
. Several police officers in that state where found guilty of drug trafficking, and 'El Puma,' a Gulf CartelGulf CartelThe Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
lieutenant, was captured. - February 10 – Military troops took over a police station in CancúnCancúnCancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
in connection with the torture and murder of former general Mauro Enrique Tello Quiñónez, who led an elite anti-drugs squad. - February 12 – Gunmen assassinate Detective Ramón Jasso Rodríguez, the chief in charge of the homicide division for the state police of Nuevo LeónNuevo LeónNuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
. - February 15 – The Mexican NavyMexican NavyThe Mexican Navy is the naval branch of the Mexican military responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to use the naval force of the federation for the exterior defense, and to help with internal order". The Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women plus reserves, over...
, with the help of the United States Coast GuardUnited States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, confiscated 7 tons of cocaine being transported on a fishing vessel in international waters in the Pacific Ocean. - February 17 – A shootout took place in the city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, between members of the Mexican army and armed cilivians, presumably members of Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
. This shooting generated chaos in the whole city and a curfew was implemented. - February 20 – Ciudad JuárezCiudad JuárezCiudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
's Police Chief Robert Orduna announced his resignation after two police officers are killed. Drug traffickers had threatened to kill one police officer every 48 hours until the chief resigned. - February 22 – Five assailants attacked the convoy of Chihuahua governor, José Reyes Baeza, killing a bodyguard.
- February 24 – Mexican authorities extradited Miguel Ángel Caro Quintero to the U.S, top-leader of the Sonora CartelSonora CartelThe Sonora Cartel, also called the Caro-Quintero Organization, was a Mexico based criminal cartel. Upon of the cartel's disintegration, its leaders were incorporated into the Tijuana Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel....
.- Heavily armed gunmen assassinated Adrián López, mayor of Vista Hermosa, MichoacanVista HermosaVista Hermosa means "beautiful view" in Spanish and may refer to:*Vista Hermosa, Meta, a town and municipality in Colombia.*C.D. Vista Hermosa, a football club....
. - U.S. raids code-named Operation XcelleratorOperation XcelleratorOperation Xcellerator was an operation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, with cooperation from Mexican and Canadian authorities, against Sinaloa Cartel drug traffickers...
on the Sinaloa cartel in CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
lead to 755 arrests, the discovery of a 'super meth lab' and laboratory equipment capable of producing 12,000 ecstasy pills per hour.
- Heavily armed gunmen assassinated Adrián López, mayor of Vista Hermosa, Michoacan
- February 25 – The New York Times report on ATFBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and ExplosivesThe Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice...
statistics stating that 90% of traced guns originated in the United States. This promped a resurgence of heated debates in USA concerning the reinstatement of the assault weapons banFederal assault weapons banThe Federal Assault Weapons Ban was a subtitle of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, a federal law in the United States that included a prohibition on the manufacture for civilian use of certain semi-automatic firearms, so called "assault weapons"...
. - February 28 – Close to 1,800 Mexican troops arrived in Ciudad JuárezCiudad JuárezCiudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
as part of a contingent of 5,000 Federal Police and troops. - March 9 – The Mexican ArmyMexican ArmyThe Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
confirmed the arrest of 26 members of the Arrellano Félix CartelTijuana CartelThe Tijuana Cartel is a Mexican drug cartel based in Tijuana. The cartel has been described as "one of the biggest and most violent criminal groups in Mexico"...
, including Ángel Jácome Gamboa (El Kaibil), one state police officer, one municipal police officer, and other suspects. - March 10 - The Mexican Ministry of Defense orders 6 Eurocopter EC 725Eurocopter EC 725-See also:-External links:* * * *...
Helicopters from Eurocopter to transport soldiers in special operations. The deal was finalized behind closed doors between Felipe CalderónFelipe CalderónFelipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa is the current President of Mexico. He assumed office on December 1, 2006, and was elected for a single six-year term through 2012...
and French President Nicolas SarkozyNicolas SarkozyNicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
. - March 12 - The United States Department of Homeland Security stated that it is considering using the National Guard 'as a last resort' to counter the threat of drug violence in Mexico from spilling over the border into the US.
- March 19 - The Mexican Military captures alleged Sinaloa cartelSinaloa CartelThe Sinaloa Cartel is the most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the United States Intelligence Community as "the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world." The Sinaloa Cartel is based in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, but also operates in the Mexican states of Baja...
drug boss Vicente Zambada Niebla, son of drug lord Ismael Zambada GarcíaIsmael Zambada GarcíaIsmael Zambada García , also known as El Mayo Zambada, is a Mexican drug lord and one of the two Sinaloa cartel leaders...
El Mayo. - March 22 - Gunmen killed Édgar Garcia, a state police commander in charge of investigating kidnappings and extortion in the western state of MichoacánMichoacánMichoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
. - March 25 – A Mexican Special Forces Unit captured one of Mexico's most-wanted drug smugglers, Héctor Huerta Ríos.
- March 26 - A US Marshal, Vincent Bustamante who was the subject of an arrest warrant, was found dead in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.
- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the future delivery of additional 8 Black Hawk helicopters to Mexican security forces.
- Germán Torres Jiménez, alias El Z-25, a founding member of Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
, was captured in Poza Rica, Veracruz.
- April 2 – Vicente Carrillo Leyva, son of Amado Carrillo FuentesAmado Carrillo FuentesAmado Carrillo Fuentes , was a Mexican drug lord who seized control of the Juárez Cartel after assassinating his boss Rafael Aguilar Guajardo. Amado Carrillo became known as "El Señor de Los Cielos" because of the large fleet of jets he used to transport drugs...
, was arrested in Mexico City. - April 19 – Eight Federal Police agents were killed in an attack on a prison convoy transporting senior leaders of the Beltrán-Leyva CartelBeltrán-Leyva CartelThe Beltrán-Leyva Cartel was a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate founded by the four Beltrán Leyva brothers: Marcos Arturo, Carlos, Alfredo and Héctor....
.- The Federal Police captured suspected 44 members of La Familia Cartel, including its chief Rafael Cedeño HernándezRafael Cedeño HernándezRafael Cedeño Hernández is an imprisoned Mexican drug trafficker who was the second-in-command of the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel, which is based in the Mexican state of Michoacán....
"El Cede".
- The Federal Police captured suspected 44 members of La Familia Cartel, including its chief Rafael Cedeño Hernández
- April 22 – The bodies of two undercover federal agents are found in DurangoDurangoDurango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
, along with a note saying "Neither priests nor rulers will ever get El Chapo" (referring to Joaquín GuzmánJoaquín GuzmánJoaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera nicknamed "El Chapo" for his stature, is a Mexican drug lord who heads Mexico's and the world's largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization referred to as the Sinaloa Cartel, named after the Mexican Pacific coast state of Sinaloa where it was initially...
and with clear allusion to the comments of the Archbishop of Durango Héctor González Martínez.) - May 17 – Gulf cartelGulf CartelThe Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
gunmen disguised as police officers break into a prison in ZacatecasZacatecasZacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas....
and free 50 inmates. - May 27 – Arrest of 27 high-ranking officials including 10 mayors and a judge in Michoacán suspected of collaboration with La Familia Cartel.
- June 6 - A total of 16 cartel gunmen and 2 Mexican ArmyMexican ArmyThe Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
soldiers were killed during a four hour shootout in AcapulcoAcapulcoAcapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
. - June 15 – Juan Manuel Jurado Zarzoza a lieutenant of the Gulf Cartel in CancunCancúnCancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
was captured. - June 26 – Gunmen attempt to kill Ernesto Cornejo, a Partido Acción NacionalNational Action Party (Mexico)The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the...
candidate, in SonoraSonoraSonora officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 72 municipalities; the capital city is Hermosillo....
, but fail to kill him. - July 7 – Anti-crime activist Benjamin LeBaronBenjamin LeBaronBenjamín "Benji" Franklin LeBaron Ray was an anti-crime activist and community leader in a fundamentalist Latter Day Saint community in Colonia LeBaron, Galeana, Chihuahua, Mexico, who had founded the advocacy group SOS Chihuahua...
and his brother-in-law Luis Widmar are murdered after armed men storm their house in Galeana, ChihuahuaGaleana, ChihuahuaGaleana is one of the 67 municipalities of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Hermenegildo Galeana. The municipality covers an area of 1,529 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 3,774....
. - July 11 – Several state police offices are attacked by gunmen in MichoacánMichoacánMichoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
, leaving several injured, and 2 members of the Mexican ArmyMexican ArmyThe Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
dead. - July 14 – Twelve Mexican Federal Police agents were kidnapped, tortured and killed, and their bodies were later disposed on a mountain highway. The agents were investigating crime in President Felipe Calderón's home state of MichoacánMichoacánMichoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
.- Julio César Godoy ToscanoJulio César Godoy ToscanoJulio César Godoy Toscano is a Mexican businessman, politician and a former member of the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution . He is half-brother of Leonel Godoy Rangel, current governor of the state of Michoacán...
, who was just elected July 5, 2009 to the Lower House of Congress, was discovered to be a top-ranking member of La Familia Michoacana drug cartel, and is accused of protecting that cartel. He is now a fugitive.
- Julio César Godoy Toscano
- August 6 – A shootout between police and gunmen leaves over a dozen dead and 22 injured in Pachuca. Some kidnapped Federal agents were found alive, however this confrontation initiated simultaneous shootouts and grenade attacks on police installations around Mexico.
- August 8 – Federal Police arrest Manuel Invanovich Zambrano Flores, a top lieutenant of the Tijuana CartelTijuana CartelThe Tijuana Cartel is a Mexican drug cartel based in Tijuana. The cartel has been described as "one of the biggest and most violent criminal groups in Mexico"...
. - August 9 – Mexican police defused an attempt to kill Mexican President Felipe Calderon by the Sinaloa CartelSinaloa CartelThe Sinaloa Cartel is the most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the United States Intelligence Community as "the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world." The Sinaloa Cartel is based in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, but also operates in the Mexican states of Baja...
.
- August 20 – The U.S. Drug Enforcement AdministrationDrug Enforcement AdministrationThe Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
(DEA) disarticulated a large Mexican drug operation in ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and knocking out a major distribution network that operated out of that city. The drug operation allegedly brought 1.5 to 2 tons of cocaine every month to Chicago from Mexico and shipped millions of dollars south of the border. - September 3 – Gunmen attack a drug clinic in Ciudad Juárez, lining up patients against a wall and killing at least 17. José Rodolfo Escajeda of the Juárez cartel was arrested several days later.
- September 16 – Ten people are killed in another gun attack on a drug rehabilitationDrug rehabilitationDrug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
clinic in Ciudad Juarez. - December 15 – As part of the Mérida InitiativeMérida InitiativeThe Mérida Initiative is a security cooperation agreement between the United States and the government of Mexico and the countries of Central America, with the declared aim of combating the threats of drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and money laundering...
, the Mexican Air ForceMexican Air ForceThe Mexican Air Force is the aviation branch of the Mexican Army and depends on the National Defense Secretariat . Since 2008, its commander is Gen...
received five Bell 412Bell 412The Bell 412 is a utility helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212 model, the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.-Design and development:...
helicopters worth $66 million from the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to use for transport and reconnaissance missions for Mexico's drug war. - December 16 – A two hour shootout between 200 Mexican MarinesMexican Naval InfantryThe Naval Infantry are the marine corps and amphibious infantry force of the Mexican Navy. The main task of the Infantería de Marina is to guarantee the maritime security of the country's ports and external and internal defense of the country, to accomplish these responsibilities the corps is...
and Beltrán-Leyva CartelBeltrán-Leyva CartelThe Beltrán-Leyva Cartel was a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate founded by the four Beltrán Leyva brothers: Marcos Arturo, Carlos, Alfredo and Héctor....
gunmen led to the death of Marcos Arturo Beltrán-LeyvaMarcos Arturo Beltrán-LeyvaArturo Beltrán Leyva was the leader of the Mexican drug trafficking organization known as the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel, which is headed by the Beltrán Leyva brothers: Marcos Arturo, Carlos, Alfredo and Héctor. The cartel is responsible for cocaine, marijuana, heroin and methamphetamine production,...
, the leader of the criminal organization, in an upscale resort in CuernavacaCuernavacaCuernavaca is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. It was established at the archeological site of Gualupita I by the Olmec, "the mother culture" of Mesoamerica, approximately 3200 years ago...
. Furthermore, four of his bodyguards were killed, one of which one committed suicide while surrounded by the Marines. Two marines were also injured while another, Navy 3rd Petty Officer Melquisedet Angulo CórdovaMelquisedet Angulo CórdovaMelquisedet Angulo Córdova was a Mexican 3rd Petty Officer with the Navy's Special Forces. He was from Tabasco. Córdova was killed on December 16, 2009 during a gun battle in Cuernavaca against members of the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel....
, died while being treated for his injuries. - December 22 – Only hours after the burial of 3rd Petty Officer Melquisedet Angulo CórdovaMelquisedet Angulo CórdovaMelquisedet Angulo Córdova was a Mexican 3rd Petty Officer with the Navy's Special Forces. He was from Tabasco. Córdova was killed on December 16, 2009 during a gun battle in Cuernavaca against members of the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel....
, gunmen break into his family's house and kill Córdova's mother and three other relatives. The shooting is believed to be retaliation for the death of Marcos Arturo Beltrán-Leyva, as well as a warning against the military forces.
For 2009, the drug-related death toll reached 7,724.
2010
- January 2 - Carlos Beltrán LeyvaBeltrán-Leyva CartelThe Beltrán-Leyva Cartel was a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate founded by the four Beltrán Leyva brothers: Marcos Arturo, Carlos, Alfredo and Héctor....
, brother of Marcos Arturo Beltrán-LeyvaMarcos Arturo Beltrán-LeyvaArturo Beltrán Leyva was the leader of the Mexican drug trafficking organization known as the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel, which is headed by the Beltrán Leyva brothers: Marcos Arturo, Carlos, Alfredo and Héctor. The cartel is responsible for cocaine, marijuana, heroin and methamphetamine production,...
was arrested by Federal Police officers in Culiacán, Sinaloa. - January 8 - Due to high crime rates in the municipality of Tancítaro, Michoacán, its Municipal Police force have been disbanded. City officials left the ArmyMexican ArmyThe Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
and State Police in charge of public security. - January 12 – Federal Police agents arrested a partner of the Tijuana Cartel, Teodoro "El Teo" García SimentalTeodoro García SimentalTeodoro García Simental is a former lieutenant of the Mexican criminal organization known as the Tijuana Cartel.- Biography :...
in La Paz, Baja California SurLa Paz, Baja California SurLa Paz is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur and an important regional commercial center. The city had a 2010 census population of 215,178 persons, but its metropolitan population is somewhat larger because of surrounding towns like el Centenario, el Zacatal and San Pedro...
. - January 31 – Sixteen teenagers with no criminal ties were gunned down at a party in Ciudad JuárezCiudad JuárezCiudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
. - February 1 - In Torreón, Coahuila, a group of gunmen opened fire at three different bars throughout the city, killing 10 and injuring over 40 people.
- February 24 - Los Zetas engaged in a violent turf war against is former employer/partner, the Gulf Cartel, in the northern border city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, rendering some border towns to "ghost towns".
- March 5 – The Red Cross in Mexico no longer treating gunshot victims after finding themselves caught in cross fire.
- March 14 – Three people associated with U.S. consulate were killed in Chihuahua in two drive-by shootings. Two of their children were injured. Presidents Obama and Calderón condemned the attack.
- March 19 – Two graduate students from the ITESM in Monterrey were mistakenly killed by soldiers at the university's entrance during a gun battle against drug traffickers. Both students had engineering scholarships for academic excellence.
- March 23 – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defence Secretary Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano visit Mexico and pledge increased support in the fight against drug cartels.
- March 30 – Cartel gunmen launched seven coordinated assaults against government forces by setting up roadblocks near Army garrisons, firing on checkpoints and ambushing patrols. Among the weapons used were armored vehicles, explosive devices and grenade launchers. The attacks were neutralized by Mexican troops. Mexican forces killed 18 cartel gunmen and seized more than 50 assault rifles, 61 grenades, 8 homemade explosive devices, numerous grenade launchers and 6 armored vehicles. Army casualties were limited to one soldier with an injured toe.
- April 1 – Cartel gunmen blockaded roads in ReynosaReynosaReynosa is a border city in the northern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from McAllen, Texas in the United States. As of 2010, the city of Reynosa counts with a population of 607,532...
. One of the gunmen was killed in a shootout with soldiers. In TampicoTampicoTampico is a city and port in the state of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, directly north across the border from Veracruz. Tampico is the third largest city in Tamaulipas, and counts with a population of 309,003. The Metropolitan area of...
, cartel gunmen ambushed a state police checkpoint, killing an officer and wounding an officer and bystander.
- April 23 – In San Dimas, DurangoSan Dimas, DurangoSan Dimas is one of the 39 municipalities of Durango, in north-western Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Tayoltita. The municipality covers an area of 5,620.5 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 19,303....
, troops clashed with gunmen. Six gunmen were killed and one was captured. The army reported that only one of their own was injured.
- May 15 - In Torreón, Coahuila, a group of gunmen opened fire during the inauguration of 'Bar Las Juanas,' killing 8 and injuring 19 people.
- May 31 – A mass graveMass graveA mass grave is a grave containing multiple number of human corpses, which may or may not be identified prior to burial. There is no strict definition of the minimum number of bodies required to constitute a mass grave, although the United Nations defines a mass grave as a burial site which...
containing 55 bodies is found in an abandoned mine near TaxcoTaxcoTaxco de Alarcón is a small city and municipality located in the Mexican state of Guerrero. The name Taxco is most likely derived from the Nahuatl word tlacheco, which means “place of the ballgame.” However, one interpretation has the name coming from the word tatzco which means “where the father...
, GuerreroGuerreroGuerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
.
- June 2 – In Tubutama, SonoraTubutamaTubutama is a town, and the surrounding municipality of the same name, in the north-west of the Mexican state of Sonora. It was founded in the late 17th century by Fr. Francisco Eusebio Kino...
, right across the U.S. border from New MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, a gunfight between rival drug cartels left 21 people killed.
- June 9 – Leader of the Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
division in the state of Nuevo LeónNuevo LeónNuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
, Raúl Héctor Luna, is arrested in MonterreyMonterreyMonterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
.
- June 10 – 2010 Chihuahua shootings2010 Chihuahua shootingsOn June 10, 2010, at least 19 people were killed in the Mexican state of Chihuahua in shooting attacks due to an ongoing drug war. The attack was on a drug rehabilitation clinic in the state capital Chihuahua. Four other people were wounded.-Shootings:...
: 40 people are killed and at least four others are wounded in an attack by at least 30 gunmen in Chihuahua. The attack occurred in multiples places in the city, including a rehabilitation center where 19 of the victims died.
- June 14 – Twelve Federal Police officers were killed and 13 wounded in two separate attacks, which took place in the state of MichoacánMichoacánMichoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
and in the city of Ciudad JuárezCiudad JuárezCiudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
. Several gunmen were also killed. Three gunmen were also killed and two soldiers wounded in a clash between cartel gunmen and the Army.
- June 15 – Army soldiers killed 15 gunmen and confiscated twenty guns and two homemade explosives during a 40-minute shootout on the outskirts of TaxcoTaxcoTaxco de Alarcón is a small city and municipality located in the Mexican state of Guerrero. The name Taxco is most likely derived from the Nahuatl word tlacheco, which means “place of the ballgame.” However, one interpretation has the name coming from the word tatzco which means “where the father...
.
- June 19 – In an attack on Jesús Manuel Lara RodríguezJesús Manuel Lara RodríguezJesús Manuel Lara Rodríguez was a Mexican politician murdered in the ongoing drug war in his country. He was the mayor of Guadalupe, Chihuahua, in the extreme northern part of Mexico near the United States border, from 2007 till 2010....
, the mayor of Guadalupe Distrito Bravos, a suburb of Ciudad JuárezCiudad JuárezCiudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
, 3 police officers, the mayor, and 9 gunmen were killed.
- June 26 – Banda Singer Sergio VegaSergio VegaJosé Sergio Vega Cuamea , better known by his stage name "El Shaka", was a Mexican banda singer. He was born in Ejido Hornos, Sonora, located near Ciudad Obregón in Mexico. On 26 June 2010, he was killed by gunfire in the Mexican state of Sinaloa after a car chase...
, also known as "El Shaka", is murdered outside the city of Los MochisLos MochisLos Mochis is a coastal city in northern Sinaloa, Mexico. It serves as the municipal seat of the municipality of Ahome. As of the 2010 census, the population was 256,613, which was 61 percent of the municipality's population....
in the state of Sinaloa.
- June 27 – Gunmen killed nine people at a drug rehabilitation clinic in Gómez Palacio, Durango.
- June 28 – Rodolfo Torre CantúRodolfo Torre CantúRodolfo Torre Cantú was a Mexican physician and politician. He held a number of public offices, such as Federal deputy, Secretary of Health of Tamaulipas and Director-general of the DIF in Ciudad Victoria...
, PRIInstitutional Revolutionary PartyThe Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
candidate for governor of TamaulipasTamaulipasTamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
, was gunned down along with six others as he rode in a car near Ciudad VictoriaCiudad VictoriaCiudad Victoria , is the capital city of the Mexican state ofTamaulipas. It is located in the western-central region of the state. Ciudad Victoria is also the municipal seat of the surrounding Victoria Municipality, which covers an area of 1,638 km²...
.
- July 15 – La LíneaLa Línea (gang)La Línea is a group of Mexican drug traffickers and corrupt Juárez and Chihuahua state police officers who work as the armed wing of the Juárez Cartel, which controls one of the primary transportation routes for billions of dollars worth of illegal drug shipments annually entering the United...
, the Juárez CartelJuárez CartelThe Juárez Cartel , also known as the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Organization, is a Mexican drug cartel based in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, across the border from El Paso, Texas...
's armed wing, used a car bombCar bombA car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
for the first time, setting a deadly trap against federal police in the city of Ciudad JuárezCiudad JuárezCiudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
; the car bomb killed three police officers.
- July 18 – Gunmen in five SUVs drove up to a party on the outskirts of TorreónTorreónTorreón is a city and seat of the surrounding municipality of the same name in the Mexican state of Coahuila. As of 2010, the city's population was 608,836 with 639,629 in the municipality. The metropolitan population, including Matamoros, Coahuila, and Gómez Palacio and Lerdo in adjacent Durango,...
, CoahuilaCoahuilaCoahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
and opened fire killing 17 party-goers.
- July 25 - In state of Nuevo LeonNuevo LeónNuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
, 70 corpses were exhumed from clandestine mass graves. In addition, the municipality of Benito JuárezJuárez, Nuevo LeónCiudad Benito Juárez, or simply Juárez, is the name of a city located in the eastern part of the Monterrey metropolitan area in the state of Nuevo León, Mexico. It is the seat of the municipality of the same name. Ciudad Benito Juárez had a 2005 census population of 78,644 persons and is the...
counts with 51 of the total 70.
- July 29 – Ignacio Coronel Villarreal, one of the three leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel was killed in a shootout with the Army in ZapopanZapopanZapopan is a city and municipality located in the Mexican state of Jalisco, which is part of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area. It is best known as being the home of the Virgin of Zapopan, an image of the Virgin Mary which was made in the 16th century. This image has been credited with a number of...
, JaliscoJaliscoJalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
. One soldier was also killed and another wounded during the shootout.
- July 30 – On the heavy trafficked highway Matamoros-Ciudad Victoria, just outside of San Fernando, TamaulipasSan Fernando, TamaulipasSan Fernando is a municipality and city located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.-Massacres:San Fernando, Tamaulipas is notorious for experiencing two of the largest recorded massacres of the Mexican Drug War...
, 15 dead bodies from Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
were left for display by the Gulf CartelGulf CartelThe Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
on the middle of the road.
- August 22 – Four decapitated and mutilated bodies were discovered hanging by their ankles from a bridge in CuernavacaCuernavacaCuernavaca is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. It was established at the archeological site of Gualupita I by the Olmec, "the mother culture" of Mesoamerica, approximately 3200 years ago...
in the southern state of MorelosMorelosMorelos officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 33 municipalities and its capital city is Cuernavaca....
. Héctor Beltrán LeyvaHéctor Beltrán LeyvaHéctor Beltrán Leyva is a Mexican drug lord and leader of the Beltrán Leyva Cartel.Héctor Beltrán Leyva is the brother of Arturo Beltrán Leyva , former leader of the cartel...
took responsibility for the killings in a message left with the bodies, the message left with the bodies threatened: "This is what will happen to all those who support the traitor Edgar Valdez Villarreal".
- August 24 – Tamaulipas massacre: Following a gunfight in the state of TamaulipasTamaulipasTamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
between gunmen alleged to be drug traffickers, in which three gunmen and a marine were killed, 72 bodies were recovered from a remote ranch in the state of TamaulipasTamaulipasTamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
. It was "the biggest single discovery of its kind" in the ongoing drug war. The 58 men and 14 women were believed to be undocumented migrants from South and Central America trying to cross the border to the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A surviving migrant claims that the migrants were kidnapped by the Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
cartel and killed for refusing to do work for them. Twenty one rifles, 101 ammunition clips, four bullet-proof vests, camouflage uniforms and four vehicles were seized by officials. The bodies were found in a room, some of which were piled up on top of each other.
- August 30 – Authorities capture Edgar "La Barbie" Valdez Villarreal, a U.S.-born trafficker who was fighting to lead the Beltrán-Leyva Cartel based in central Mexico.
- September 2 – Twenty seven suspected drug cartel gunmen are shot dead in clashes near the U.S. border in the Mexican state of TamaulipasTamaulipasTamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
; the bodies were found on a property believed to be owned by Los Zetas.
- September 8 - The mayor of El Naranjo, San Luis PotosíEl NaranjoEl Naranjo is a town and municipality in San Luis Potosí in central Mexico.-References:...
, Alexander López García, is killed in his office by a group of gunmen.
- September 9 – Gunmen killed 25 people in a series of drug-related attacks in Ciudad Juárez, marking the deadliest day in more than two years for the Mexican border city. Two graffiti message's appeared in Ciudad Juárez threatening the Sinaloa Cartel drug lord Joaquin GuzmanJoaquín GuzmánJoaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera nicknamed "El Chapo" for his stature, is a Mexican drug lord who heads Mexico's and the world's largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization referred to as the Sinaloa Cartel, named after the Mexican Pacific coast state of Sinaloa where it was initially...
. One message read: "You are killing our sons. You already did, and now we are going to kill your families."
- September 10 – In the border city of Reynosa, across the border from McAllen, TexasMcAllen, TexasMcAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. It is located at the southern tip of Texas in an area known as the Rio Grande Valley and is part of the . Its southern boundary is located about five miles from the U.S.–Mexico border and the Mexican city of Reynosa, the Rio...
, 85 inmates — 66 of whom were convicted or on trial for federal charges like weapons possession or drugs — scaled the Reynosa prison's 20-foot (6-meter) walls using ladders. Forty four prison guards and employees were under investigation. Two were missing. So far this year a total of 201 inmates have escaped from prisons in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.
- September 12 - Mexican marines arrest Sergio Villarreal BarragánSergio Villarreal BarragánSergio Enrique Villarreal Barragán a.k.a. El Grande, , is a former Mexican federal police officer who then worked as a lieutenant for Héctor Beltrán Leyva of the criminal organisation called the Beltrán Leyva Cartel. He got his name El Grande because he is tall.-Biography:In 1990 at age 20, he was...
, a lieutenant of the Beltrán-Leyva CartelBeltrán-Leyva CartelThe Beltrán-Leyva Cartel was a Mexican drug cartel and organized crime syndicate founded by the four Beltrán Leyva brothers: Marcos Arturo, Carlos, Alfredo and Héctor....
.
- September 16 - In Matamoros, TamaulipasMatamoros, TamaulipasMatamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
, over 25 people were killed after a confrontation between the Gulf CartelGulf CartelThe Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
, Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
, and elements of the Mexican NavyMexican NavyThe Mexican Navy is the naval branch of the Mexican military responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to use the naval force of the federation for the exterior defense, and to help with internal order". The Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women plus reserves, over...
. This was during the eve celebration of the Mexican Independence DayGrito de DoloresThe Grito de Dolores also known as El Grito de la Independencia , uttered from the small town of Dolores, near Guanajuato on April 19, 1810 is the event that marks the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence and is the most important national holiday observed in Mexico...
.
- October 18 – Mexican authorities seized 105 tons of marijuana bound for the U.S., representing the biggest bust in the history of the state of Baja CaliforniaBaja CaliforniaBaja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
. Soldiers and police seized the drugs in pre-dawn raids in three neighborhoods. The marijuana was found wrapped in 10,000 packages. The drug had an estimated street value in Mexico of 4.2 billion pesos, about $338 million.
- October 22 – Gunmen kill 14 people at a boy's birthday party in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.
- October 24 – Gunmen in Tijuana kill 13 people at a drug rehab clinic.
- October 27 – Gunmen kill 15 people at a car wash in Tepic, Nayarit.
- November 4 – In Ciudad Mante, Tamaulipas, 8 beheaded corpses were found on the trunk of a pickup truck. On top of the corpses, a poster read the following: “This happens for supporting Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
. Here are all your halcones (informants). Sincerely, the Gulf CartelGulf CartelThe Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
.
- November 5 – Antonio Ezequiel Cárdenas Guillen, co-leader of the Gulf CartelGulf CartelThe Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
, was shot and killed during a gunbattle against Mexican authorities, along with more than 50 of his gunmen, in the border city of Matamoros, TamaulipasMatamoros, TamaulipasMatamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
. Although not confirmed, some local sources reveal that more than 100 people died that day in Matamoros.
- November 9 – Customs authorities at the International Airport of Mexico City seized 113 kilos of cocaine and two thousand bottles of pills with RisperidoneRisperidoneRisperidone is a second generation or atypical antipsychotic, sold under the trade name . It is used to treat schizophrenia , schizoaffective disorder, the mixed and manic states associated with bipolar disorder, and irritability in people with autism...
.
- November 9 – Mayor Gregorio Barradas Miravete was found executed with a note left on him that read: "This is going to happen to all those who continue to support Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
."
- November 22 - In the rural outsides of Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, drug cartel gunmen threatened a 77 year-old local entrepreneur, Don Alejo Garza Támez, to give away all his property. According to the report, they gave Don Alejo one day to leave his ranch before the gunmen arrived. If not, they threatened to kill him. Instead, Don Alejo made a fortress in his own ranch; setting up traps, and placing rifles on every house window, waiting for the arrival of the gunmen all by himself. When the gunmen arrived, Don Alejo shot and killed 4 of them, and gravely injured 2. Nevertheless, Don Alejo was killed, too, but he was commemorated for his heroic act.
- December 3 - In Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexican authorities capture Edgar Jiménez Lugo, alias "El Ponchis," a 14 year-old hitman from the South Pacific CartelSouth Pacific CartelThe South Pacific Cartel , is a Mexican gang that originated in the Mexican state of Morelos.Although they call themselves a 'cartel', the gang is a local cell created on April 2010 by Héctor Beltrán Leyva, leader of the Beltran Leyva Cartel. The gang is known for having employed a 12-year-old...
. He is the youngest sicario that there is register of in Mexico; "El Ponchis" is well-known for carrying out over 300 violent executions, most of them by mutilation, torture, and decapitation.
- December 9 – La Familia Michoacana's drug lord, Nazario Moreno GonzálezNazario Moreno GonzálezNazario Moreno González was a Mexican drug lord of the La Familia drug cartel, headquartered in the state of Michoacán.-Biography:...
, was killed in a shootout with the federal police.
- December 18 – In Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, 151 inmates escaped a federal prison—58 of them were high-profile criminals—and investigations mention that the convicts left through the front door, which implies that the director allowed them to escape.
- December 19 - 2010 Puebla oil pipeline explosion2010 Puebla oil pipeline explosionThe 2010 Puebla oil pipeline explosion was a large oil pipeline explosion that occurred at 5:50 am CST on December 19, 2010, in the city of San Martín Texmelucan de Labastida, Puebla, Mexico. The pipeline, running from Tabasco to Hidalgo, was owned by the Pemex petroleum company, and exploded after...
: In the state of PueblaPueblaPuebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
, a pipeline owned by PEMEXPemexPetróleos Mexicanos or Pemex is a Mexican state-owned petroleum company. As of 2010, with a total asset worth of $415.75 billion, it is the second non-publicly listed largest company in the world by total market value, and Latin America's second largest enterprise by annual revenue as of 2009...
company exploded after thieves from Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
attempted to siphon off the oil. The explosion killed 28 people, injured 52, and damaged over 115 homes.
- December 28 – Around 60 gunmen stormed the small, indigenous town of Tierras Coloradas, Durango. The gunmen burned all the houses (40), cars (27), and an elementary school; over 200 natives had to flee the area, others were killed.
For 2010, the drug-related deaths reached 15,273.
2011
- January 8 – 28 bodies were discovered in AcapulcoAcapulcoAcapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
, including the decapitated bodies of 15 young men, with the heads scattered around them, which were found outside the Plaza Sendero shopping center. Media reports say that three messages signed by Joaquin "El Chapo" GuzmanJoaquín GuzmánJoaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera nicknamed "El Chapo" for his stature, is a Mexican drug lord who heads Mexico's and the world's largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization referred to as the Sinaloa Cartel, named after the Mexican Pacific coast state of Sinaloa where it was initially...
, leader of the Sinaloa cartelSinaloa CartelThe Sinaloa Cartel is the most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the United States Intelligence Community as "the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world." The Sinaloa Cartel is based in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, but also operates in the Mexican states of Baja...
, were found alongside the bodies. The other bodies include 6 found in a taxi behind a supermarket, 4 riddled with bullets in two residential neighborhoods and 3 others in other locations.
- February 16 – In San Luis PotosíSan Luis PotosíSan Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....
, the American ICEU.S. Immigration and Customs EnforcementU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security , responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security...
agent Jaime Zapata was ambushed, shot, and killed on a highway during his trajectory to Mexico CityMexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
by a group of gunmen, later confirmed to be Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
. The second agent, Victor Avila, was wounded, and is now in the United States. The gunmen involved in the shooting have been apprehended.
- February 27 – Sergio Mora Cortes, aka "El Toto," is captured by Mexican MarinesMexican Naval InfantryThe Naval Infantry are the marine corps and amphibious infantry force of the Mexican Navy. The main task of the Infantería de Marina is to guarantee the maritime security of the country's ports and external and internal defense of the country, to accomplish these responsibilities the corps is...
in Saltillo, Coahuila. Mora Cortes was a leader of Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
in the state of San Luis PotosiSan Luis PotosíSan Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....
, and he was wanted for the murder of the American ICEU.S. Immigration and Customs EnforcementU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security , responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security...
agent Jaime Zapata and for the murder of a Nuevo LaredoNuevo LaredoNuevo Laredo is a city located in the Municipality of Nuevo Laredo in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The city lies on the banks of the Río Grande, across from the United States city of Laredo, Texas. The 2010 census population of the city was 373,725. Nuevo Laredo is part of the Laredo-Nuevo...
police chief.
- February 28 – 7 bodies found hanging from bridges in Mazatlan, Sinaloa. Messages left with the corpses alleged that the dead were members of the South Pacific CartelSouth Pacific CartelThe South Pacific Cartel , is a Mexican gang that originated in the Mexican state of Morelos.Although they call themselves a 'cartel', the gang is a local cell created on April 2010 by Héctor Beltrán Leyva, leader of the Beltran Leyva Cartel. The gang is known for having employed a 12-year-old...
.
- March 1 – A mass grave with over 20 bodies was uncovered in San Miguel Totolapan, GuerreroSan Miguel Totolapan (municipality)San Miguel Totolapan is one of the 81 municipalities of Guerrero, in south-western Mexico. The municipal seat lies at San Miguel Totolapan. The municipality covers an area of 2,648.1 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 27,033....
. Other sources, however, mention that more than 70 bodies were exhumed.
- March 2 – A three-day shooting was registered between the Mexican MarinesMexican Naval InfantryThe Naval Infantry are the marine corps and amphibious infantry force of the Mexican Navy. The main task of the Infantería de Marina is to guarantee the maritime security of the country's ports and external and internal defense of the country, to accomplish these responsibilities the corps is...
and Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
in the city of Valle Hermoso, TamaulipasValle Hermoso, TamaulipasValle Hermoso is a city in Valle Hermoso Municipality in the northeastern part of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. The city serves as the municipal seat of the municipality, which is bordered by the municipalities of Matamoros and Río Bravo...
. During these three days, all local businesses and schools closed; a convoyConvoyA convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
of 50 SUV’s from Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
was seen in the rural highway outside the city.
- March 8 – 18 killed in gunfights in Abasolo, TamaulipasAbasolo, TamaulipasAbasolo is a city located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, it is the seat of Abasolo Municipality, Tamaulipas.- External links :* Official website...
. Most of the dead are believed to be operators for the warring ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
and the Gulf CartelGulf CartelThe Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
. Mexican troops were deployed to restore order.
- March 10 – Jorge Hernández Espinoza, the Director of Public Security for Santiago TangamandapioTangamandapioTangamandapio is a municipality located in the northwest part of the Mexican state of Michoacán, WSW of Zamora, Michoacán, 165 km from the state capital of Morelia. The geographic coordinates are: 19° 57' North latitude and 102° 26' West longitude....
, MichoacánMichoacánMichoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
, was found dead in his vehicle with one shot once in his head and three times in his chest.
- March 29 - Police found the bodies of 6 men and 1 woman inside a car abandoned in an exclusive gated community near CuernavacaCuernavacaCuernavaca is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. It was established at the archeological site of Gualupita I by the Olmec, "the mother culture" of Mesoamerica, approximately 3200 years ago...
.
- April 2 - In Ciudad JuarezCiudad JuárezCiudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
, a group of gunmen attacked two bars with fire bombs and shootings in less than forty-eight hours, killing over 15 people.
- April 4 - A clash between the police and drug cartel gunmen left 7 dead and 6 people injured in Acapulco, Guerrero. In addition, a whole shopping center was burned down by the gunmen, and a dozen of stores were left in ruins.
- April 26 - 2011 Tamaulipas massacre2011 Tamaulipas massacreThe 2011 Tamaulipas massacre was the mass murder of at least 193 people discovered in mass graves on April 6, 2011. These people were kidnapped from passenger buses. Although not confirmed, some newspapers mention that the body count surpassed 500, but that the state government of Tamaulipas...
: In San Fernando, TamaulipasSan Fernando, TamaulipasSan Fernando is a municipality and city located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.-Massacres:San Fernando, Tamaulipas is notorious for experiencing two of the largest recorded massacres of the Mexican Drug War...
, after exhuming more than 40 mass graves, the final body count reached 193 corpses. Although not confirmed, some newspapers mention that the body count surpassed 500, but that the state government of TamaulipasTamaulipasTamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
supposedly censored and prevented such publications.
- May 1 - MEXICO CITY - The drug-war death toll for Mexico in April was 1,400, the highest of any month since the Mexican government began its war on illicit drug trade four years ago. The previous high was 1,322 in August 2010.
- May 9 - The Mexican government, along with Sedena, disarm all police forces in the state of TamaulipasTamaulipasTamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
, beginning with the cities of MatamorosMatamoros, TamaulipasMatamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
and ReynosaReynosaReynosa is a border city in the northern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from McAllen, Texas in the United States. As of 2010, the city of Reynosa counts with a population of 607,532...
.
- May 14 - 2011 Durango massacres2011 Durango massacresThe 2011 Durango massacres were a series of mass murders that occurred in 2011. At least 249 bodies have been found in mass graves around the city of Durango. These mass graves are the first of their kind in the state of Durango and third of their kind in Mexico...
: In the state of DurangoDurangoDurango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
, 249 bodies were exhumed from numerous clandestine mass graves. Some sources, however, indicate that the actual body count reached 308 corpses.
- May 16 – In GuatemalaGuatemalaGuatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, 27 farmers were killed by Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
; the majority of the victims presented signs of torture and decapitation.
- May 20 - In Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, directly across the border from Laredo, TexasLaredo, TexasLaredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
, 31 people were killed in a 24-hour span. In addition, more than 40 people were injured, and 196 drug cartel gunmen were detained.
- May 27 - In Ruiz, Nayarit, a convoy from Los Zetas ambushed a group of gunmen of the Sinaloa Cartel; 29 gunmen were killed, 3 were found injured.
- A confrontation between the Federal Police forces and La Familia Michoacana in a ranch at Jilotlán de los DoloresJilotlán de los DoloresJilotlán de los Dolores is a town and municipality, in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 1511.78 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 8,579....
, in western JaliscoJaliscoJalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
, left 11 La Familia gunmen killed and 36 arrested. More than 70 assault rifles were confiscated, along with 14 handguns, 3 grenades, 578 cartridges, 20,000 rounds of ammunition, and 40 bullet-proof vests. It was later discovered that La Familia Michoacana was planning a raid against the Knights Templar.
- A confrontation between the Federal Police forces and La Familia Michoacana in a ranch at Jilotlán de los Dolores
- June 3 - In the state of CoahuilaCoahuilaCoahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
, 38 bodies were exhumed from clandestine mass graves.
- June 9 - The United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government arrested 127 U.S. Customs and Border ProtectionU.S. Customs and Border ProtectionU.S. Customs and Border Protection is a federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs and immigration. CBP is the...
agents who were collaborating with the Mexican drug cartels.
- June 15 - A total of 34 people were killed in Monterrey, Nuevo León in a 24-hour span.
- June 21 - José de Jesús Méndez VargasJosé de Jesús Méndez VargasJosé de Jesús Méndez Vargas is a Mexican drug lord and leader of the La Familia drug cartel, headquartered in the state of Michoacán....
'El Chango', leader of La Familia Michoacana, was captured in AguascalientesAguascalientesAguascalientes is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 11 municipalities and its capital city is Aguascalientes....
.
- July 1 – In Fresnillo, Zacatecas, during a confrontation between Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
and the Mexican forces, 15 Zeta gunmen were killed, and 17 were arrested; SEMARMexican NavyThe Mexican Navy is the naval branch of the Mexican military responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to use the naval force of the federation for the exterior defense, and to help with internal order". The Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women plus reserves, over...
notified that 6 marines were wounded.- Zacateca'sZacatecasZacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas....
Attorney General, Arturo Nahle García, confirmed that in FresnilloFresnilloFresnillo /fres'nijo/ , founded in 1554 by Francisco de Ibarra, is the second largest city in Zacatecas state, north central Mexico...
, more than 250 Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
gunmen confronted elements of the Mexican NavyMexican NavyThe Mexican Navy is the naval branch of the Mexican military responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to use the naval force of the federation for the exterior defense, and to help with internal order". The Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women plus reserves, over...
throughout the whole city.
- Zacateca's
- July 4 - Federal Police agents arrest Jesús Enrique Rejón AguilarJesús Enrique Rejón AguilarJesús Enrique Rejón Aguilar was born on June 9, 1976 in Sabancuy, Campeche, Mexico He is a lieutenant of the Mexican criminal organization known as Los Zetas...
, one of the leaders and co-founders of the Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
drug cartel.
- July 8 - In the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León, a group of gunmen shot and killed 27 people, injured 7, and kidnapped 8 in 'Bar Sabino Gordo.' Presumably, this massacre was from the Gulf CartelGulf CartelThe Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
to their rival group Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
.
- July 9 - Fighting among Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
and other drug cartels led to the deaths of more than 40 people whose bodies were found in three Mexican cities over a 24-hour span.
- July 11 - Armando Villarreal Heredia, a U.S-born drug lieutenant of the Arellano-Felix drug cartelTijuana CartelThe Tijuana Cartel is a Mexican drug cartel based in Tijuana. The cartel has been described as "one of the biggest and most violent criminal groups in Mexico"...
, is arrested by the Federal Police.
- July 12 - In Ciudad JuarezCiudad JuárezCiudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
, 21 people were killed in different parts of the city by gunmen. This marked the deadliest day for Ciudad Juarez in 2011.
- July 14 - The Mexican Army discovers the largest marijuana plantation ever found in the country, 320 km (200 mi) south of San Diego, CA., in the Mexican state of Baja California; consisting of 120 hectares (300 acres) that would have yielded about 120 tons, and was worth about USD $160 million.
- July 15 - In Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, 66 inmates escaped a federal prison during a massive brawl, where 7 other inmates were found dead.
- July 23 – The president of Mexico, Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, and peace and human rights activists, which included the poet Javier SiciliaJavier SiciliaJavier Sicilia is a poet, essayist, novelist, and journalist in Mexico. He contributes to various print media such as the Mexico City daily La Jornada and Proceso magazine...
, gathered in Chapultepec Castle to initiate a national aired discussion on Mexico's drug warMexican Drug WarThe Mexican Drug War is an ongoing armed conflict taking place among rival drug cartels who fight each other for regional control, and Mexican government forces who seek to combat drug trafficking. However, the government's principal goal has been to put down the drug-related violence that was...
violence and on the country's military-led strategy against the drug cartels.- Due to anonymous calls by civilians, the Mexican ArmyMexican ArmyThe Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
carried out an operation to crackdown operatives from Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
in Pánuco, VeracruzPánuco, VeracruzPánuco is a city in the Mexican state of Veracruz, located in the state's Huasteca Alta region. It serves as the municipal seat of the surrounding Pánuco Municipality...
; when the Mexican forces arrived at the place, the gunmen received them with shots, but the Army repelled the aggression and killed 10 Zetas.
- Due to anonymous calls by civilians, the Mexican Army
- July 24 - An unidentified group of gunmen disarmed 21 policemen in MichoacánMichoacánMichoacán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 113 municipalities and its capital city is Morelia...
. According to the information given, the gunmen carried out personal inspections to each police officer, disarming them one by one. The cops refused to defend themselves because the gunmen expressed high levels of anxiousness, and they were scared of being executed.
- July 25 - Inside a prison in Ciudad JuárezCiudad JuárezCiudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
, 17 inmates were shot and killed during a brawl between rival drug groups.
- July 28 - Fortino Cortés Sandoval, the mayor of Florencia de Benito Juárez, ZacatecasFlorencia de Benito JuárezFlorencia de Benito Juárez, is a municipality located in the southern extreme of the state of Zacatecas on the edge of the Canyon of Tlaltenango. To the north, the municipality is bordered by the municipality of Atolinga and the state of Jalisco...
, is found dead after a group of gunmen abducted him from his office.
- July 31 - The Federal Police forces of Mexico captured José Antonio Acosta Hernández, nicknamed "El Diego," supreme leader of La LineaLa Línea (gang)La Línea is a group of Mexican drug traffickers and corrupt Juárez and Chihuahua state police officers who work as the armed wing of the Juárez Cartel, which controls one of the primary transportation routes for billions of dollars worth of illegal drug shipments annually entering the United...
, the armed wing of the Juárez CartelJuárez CartelThe Juárez Cartel , also known as the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Organization, is a Mexican drug cartel based in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, across the border from El Paso, Texas...
. According to government sources, "El Diego" had ordered more than 1,500 executions, some of them including government officials.
- August 4 - The Secretariat of National Defense announced that after the initiation of the 'Operation Lince Norte', an operation focused primarily on destroying the financial and logistic sectors of Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
, more than 500,000 pesos have been confiscated, and more than 30 'Zeta' gumnen killed.
- August 12 - Óscar García Montoya, alias ‘El Compayito’, supreme leader of the criminal group La Mano con Ojos, was captured. He confessed to have killed over 300 people by himself, and ordered the execution of 300 more.
- August 20 - In Torreon, Coahuila, a shooting was registered during a Mexican soccer match between Santos LagunaSantos LagunaClub Santos Laguna is a Mexican football club. They represent the urban area of Comarca Lagunera, which is made up of Torreón, Gomez Palacio, and Lerdo. Santos Laguna currently plays in the Primera División. The club was founded in 1982, and reached Mexico's top division after buying the franchise...
and Monarcas Morelia.- The mayor of Zacualpan, Mexico StateZacualpan, Mexico StateZacualpan is a town and municipality in Mexico State in Mexico. The municipality covers an area of 301.47 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 13,800.-References:...
, Jesús Eduviges Nava, was found dead after being kidnapped by gunmen who interrupted a meeting he was holding in his municipality.
- The mayor of Zacualpan, Mexico State
- August 25 - 2011 Monterrey casino attack2011 Monterrey casino attackThe 2011 Monterrey casino attack was a narcoterrorist attack that took place in city of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, in the country of Mexico, on August 25, 2011. Government sources revealed that 52 people were killed, but local reviews mention that 61 bodies were eventually found after a few days...
: a well-armed group of gunmen massacred 52 people, and injured over a dozen, at Casino Royale. Although not confirmed, some sources mention that 61 were killed in the attack. This attack was the most violent and bloodiest in the history of Monterrey and of the whole state of Nuevo LeonNuevo LeónNuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
. According to eye witnesses, the gunmen quietly stormed the casino and immediately opened fire at the civilians, and then doused the casino entrances with gasoline and started a fire that trapped the people inside.
- August 30 - In Acapulco, Guerrero, 140 elementary schools closed and over 600 teachers quit their jobs due to the money threats they have been receiving from the drug cartels. Over 75,000 kids are not attending school. One teacher confessed to have seen on a regular basis men in cars with assault rifles sticking out the windows, just outside school grounds.
- September 14 - In the small town of Juchipila in the state of ZacatecasZacatecasZacatecas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Zacatecas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas....
, over 80 gunmen—presumably from the Gulf CartelGulf CartelThe Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
—took control of the town, its jail, and its city hall for over five hours. They mentioned that their goal was to wipe out any presence of Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
in the area.
- September 17 - Moisés Villanueva de la Luz, a Mexican congressman, is found dead in GuerreroGuerreroGuerrero officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Guerrero is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo....
after being kidnapped for thirteen days.
- September 20 - Two trucks containing 35 dead bodies are found in Boca del Río, VeracruzBoca del Río, VeracruzBoca del Río is a city and municipality located in the center of the state of Veracruz. The small city of Boca del Río serves as the seat of the municipality. The municipality lies just south of Veracruz Municipality, and contains a part of the city and port of Veracruz, Mexico...
. Sources mention that all victims were linked to Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
, and that the executions were performed by the Sinaloa Cartel'sSinaloa CartelThe Sinaloa Cartel is the most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the United States Intelligence Community as "the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world." The Sinaloa Cartel is based in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, but also operates in the Mexican states of Baja...
armed wing, Gente NuevaGente NuevaGente Nueva , also known as Los Chapos, in reference to their supreme leader Joaquín Guzmán Loera, is a group of hitman that works as the armed wing of the Sinaloa Cartel....
. Nevertheless, the criminal group Los Mata Zetas claimed responsibility for this massacre. In addition, 14 more bodies were found around VeracruzVeracruzVeracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
two days after this incident, summing up to 49 bodies found in public highways in the last forty-eight hours.
- October 4 - The Mexican federal government launches the military-led project called Operación Veracruz Seguro to ensure tranquility in VeracruzVeracruzVeracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
. Reports mention that Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
, the Gulf CartelGulf CartelThe Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
, and the Sinaloa CartelSinaloa CartelThe Sinaloa Cartel is the most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the United States Intelligence Community as "the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world." The Sinaloa Cartel is based in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, but also operates in the Mexican states of Baja...
are present in that state.
- October 5 - In Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexican authorities captured Noel Salgueiro Nevárez, the supreme leader of the Sinaloa Cartel'sSinaloa CartelThe Sinaloa Cartel is the most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the United States Intelligence Community as "the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world." The Sinaloa Cartel is based in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, but also operates in the Mexican states of Baja...
armed wing, Gente NuevaGente NuevaGente Nueva , also known as Los Chapos, in reference to their supreme leader Joaquín Guzmán Loera, is a group of hitman that works as the armed wing of the Sinaloa Cartel....
. In addition, they also captured Martín Rosales Magaña, one of the founders of La Familia Michoacana.
- October 6 - In Boca del Río, VeracruzBoca del Río, VeracruzBoca del Río is a city and municipality located in the center of the state of Veracruz. The small city of Boca del Río serves as the seat of the municipality. The municipality lies just south of Veracruz Municipality, and contains a part of the city and port of Veracruz, Mexico...
, a total of 36 bodies were found by Mexican authorities in three houses. Eight alleged perpetrators of the recent killings in Veracruz have been caught, including the leader of the group Los Mata Zetas. In addition, the Attorney General of Veracruz resigned from his position due to the increasing violence. A day after this incident, another 10 bodies were found across the state of VeracruzVeracruzVeracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
. The wave of violence has caused over 100 deaths in the past two weeks in Veracruz.
- October 14 - Carlos Oliva Castillo alias "La Rana," third-in-command in Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
organization and the mastermind of the 2011 Monterrey casino attack2011 Monterrey casino attackThe 2011 Monterrey casino attack was a narcoterrorist attack that took place in city of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, in the country of Mexico, on August 25, 2011. Government sources revealed that 52 people were killed, but local reviews mention that 61 bodies were eventually found after a few days...
where 52 were killed, was captured in northern city of Saltillo, CoahuilaSaltilloSaltillo is the capital city of the northeastern Mexican state of Coahuila and the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name. The city is located about 400 km south of the U.S. state of Texas, and 90 km west of Monterrey, Nuevo León....
.
- November 2 - Ricardo Guzmán Romero, PANNational Action Party (Mexico)The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the...
mayor of La Piedad, Michoacán, was shot and killed by a group of unidentified gunmen.
- November 23 - A total of 23 bodies—16 of them burned to death—were located in several abandoned vehicles in SinaloaSinaloaSinaloa officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 18 municipalities and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales....
.
- November 24 - Three trucks containing 26 bodies were found in an avenue at Guadalajara, JaliscoGuadalajara, JaliscoGuadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
. All of them were male corpses. Reports mention that Los ZetasLos ZetasLos Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
and the Milenio CartelMilenio CartelThe Milenio Cartel, or Cártel de los Valencia, was an organized crime gang originally based in Michoacán, Mexico. The group splintered from the Juárez Cartel in 1999 and it is currently operating as a branch of the powerful La Familia Michoacana, and has relocated to Guadalajara city.Luis Valencia...
are responsible for the massacre of these twenty-six alleged Sinaloa CartelSinaloa CartelThe Sinaloa Cartel is the most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the United States Intelligence Community as "the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world." The Sinaloa Cartel is based in the city of Culiacán, Sinaloa, but also operates in the Mexican states of Baja...
members.