At least 19 people were killed in Mexico, including four Guatemalans, in a conflict between two drug cartels in the southern state of Chiapas, the Security Ministry announced yesterday, Monday.
Inside a truck with goods, "14 men were found murdered with a firearm, two others in the cabin, two on the road and another one at a distance of about 100 meters", the announcement clarified. It was previously announced that the dead were 20.
The incident happened last Friday in the city of La Concordia, a few hours' drive from the border with Guatemala.
According to the ministry, the first investigations show that this is a "conflict" between the Sinaloa cartel, one of the strongest in the country, and a rival faction called the "Cartel of Chiapas and Guatemala".
The authorities emphasize that the two criminal organizations are "claiming control of this border zone" and, according to the announcement, "it was found that at least four of the persons killed carried identification cards issued by the government of Guatemala."
After being alerted on Saturday to the presence of bodies on a rural road, law enforcement discovered the murdered inside a goods truck, they said.
Arrests were made of persons linked to "drug smuggling, human trafficking and arms smuggling" in the area where these events unfolded, according to the same source.
Last weekend, the federal government ordered the deployment of 1.200 troops to beef up security along the border with Guatemala.
