Mexican Mayhem in southern Chihuahua: 5 die

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

A total of five individuals have been killed in ongoing drug and gang violence in southern Chihuahua after a city mayor imposed a curfew in his city to discouraged travel in the region at night, according to Mexican news accounts.

Two men were found dead on a road in Guadalupe y Calvo municipality Wednesday, according to a news report which appeared in the online edition of Tiempo news daily.

The victims were found near Alto de Pilares near the Guadalupe y Calvo to El Vergal road, shot to death and in an advanced state of decomposition.

One victim was identified as Víctor Manuel Gutierrez Villar, 17.

Meanwhile in Batopilas municipality a man in his 30s was found shot to death in an arroyo, according to a separate news report in Tiempo.

José Valentin Avitia Lopez was found Tuesday evening near the village of Rodeo, apparently shot with AK-47 rifles.

Another attack took place in Parral Wednesday evening when two individuals were shot in Che Guevara, according to a news report which appeared on the website of El Diario de Juarez.

Wilfrido Revuela Espinoza, 40, died while on his way to receiving medical attention, while Gloria Bustillos Maria Payan, 30, was wounded in the attack.

Further west in Guachoochi municipality a man was found stabbed to death, according to a news report on the online edition of El Sol de Parral.

Mateo Perez Guevara, 43, was found near the village of Santa Anita by local residents.

Mexican Army and Chihuahua state police have been combining resources in the region to conduct checkpoints along road in Guadalupe y Calvo and in El Vergel municipalities, roads considered to be high value commercial routes, according to a news report in El Sol de Parral.

The area of operation is expected to include much of southern Chihuahua including the Durango-Chihuahua borderlands.

The report tracks an announcement earlier in the week by Chihuahua state Fiscalia General del Estado or attorney general southern delegate Jesus Chavez.

Chavez said that the region was being reinforced as a response to increased violence between local rival drug and criminal gangs which operate in southern Chihuahua.

The violence in southern Chihuahua including in Guadalupe y Calvo and in Ciudad Jimenez prompted the mayor of Ciudad Jimenez to discourage travel at night in his city, according to a news report in El Diario de Chihuahua news daily.

Marco Chavez

Marcos Chavez said in the  report that his police are closing down bars and "asking" people to go home, effectively imposing a curfew in Ciudad Jimenez.  His reason is the recent death of local criminal jefe, Uriel Canton AKA El Doctor, last week.

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com and BorderlandBeat.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com