Mexico: 9 Killed in Massacre Inside Home; Mexican Drug Cartel Gunmen Eyed as Suspects

Nine individuals were shot dead inside a house in central Mexico's Puebla state, and authorities suspect that a drug cartel was behind it.

In a press conference Wednesday, Puebla Governor Miguel Barbosa said the "execution-style" killings of six men and three women took place in Atlixco town early Wednesday morning.

According to KRQE, Barbosa said the house in Atlixco, a middle-class neighborhood, was "used for the distribution and sale of drugs." The governor added that the killings seemed to be "an execution between gangs."

The Puebla Attorney General's Office said a 10th victim survived but was "in critical condition" at a hospital. The victim reportedly sustained gunshot wounds to the head, shoulder, and leg.

Barbosa said the victims, who were not identified, only came to the house and were not from Atlixco nor Puebla. The governor noted that there would be saturation patrols to combat rising crime in the state, and a police helicopter would also be used.

Barbosa said they "will not let Puebla go rotten" and let one gang "eradicate another gang in Puebla in their internal struggles because then we empower the winner and they become dominant."

According to Associated Press, Puebla was not yet famous for drug violence, but it was known to be home to violent gangs dealing in fuel theft from government pipelines.

Mexican Drug Cartels in Mexico's Puebla State

Crime groups operating in Mexico's Puebla state have reportedly changed over time due to government efforts, alliances, and groups' divisions.

In 2010, a map released by an intelligence consultancy firm showed that Puebla, especially the northern zone, appeared as an area in dispute between cartels operating out of Veracruz and Guerrero states like the Gulf Cartel and the Los Zetas Cartel.

A Colombian citizen noted that Puebla is like "Bogota 30 years ago," according to an Open Democracy report. The citizen said 30 years ago, Bogota was full of investments and investors just like Puebla now.

The citizen noted that there were also housing developments and luxury cars, but only later to be realized that it was from drug trafficking.

The Los Zetas Cartel in Mexico

The Los Zetas Cartel started as the enforcement arm of drug-trafficking Gulf Cartel and had broken away as an independent criminal enterprise in 2010.

According to Britannica, the Los Zetas Cartel is known for its violent tactics and strong organizational structure. Osiel Cardenas Guillen, the former leader of the Gulf Cartel, recruited about 30 former members of Mexico's special forces led by Lieutenant Arturo Guzman Decena. This group formed the core of the Los Zetas Cartel.

After Cardenas Guillen's arrest in 2003, the Los Zetas Cartel became more directly involved in the drug business. The Mexican drug cartel played a major role in beating back the attempt by the Sinaloa Cartel to seize the control of Nuevo Laredo between 2005 and 2006.

The Los Zetas Cartel has eventually expanded its operations to arms trafficking, kidnapping, smuggling people, and extortion.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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