A.G. of Chihuahua: Los Jaguares of Sinaloa Cartel are responsible for the LeBaron Family Massacre

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The Attorney General of Chihuahua, César Augusto Peniche Espejel, said in an interview with this media that the attack on the LeBarón families occurred in the municipality of Bavispe, Sonora. There three women and seven children died; six other children were injured and one more is still missing, activist Julián LeBarón confirmed.

Mexico City, November 4 (SinEmbargo) .–  Julián LeBarón , an activist and member of the Mormon community LeBarón in Chihuahua, confirmed Monday that three mothers and seven of their youngest children were killed in an armed attack at Rancho La Mora , Bavispe, Sonora, in a mountain area bordering the state of Chihuahua.

At least six more children survived, some are injured. The children managed to escape the events, and it was reported that at least one girl was still missing until 10:30 at night.

The attorney general says that Los Jaguares of SInaloa Cartel are responsible for the massacre.

These are three families traveling in the same number of Suburban SJUVs from La Mora, in the municipality of Bavispe, Sonora, to the LeBarón community, in the municipality of Galeana, Chihuahua. They were going to visit relatives, said Julián LeBarón. However, during the journey they were attacked by alleged members of organized crime.

According to the information, in total there were 17 people in three different trucks, three women and thirteen minors - ten children and three babies.

In the afternoon, Lafe Langford Jr, a relative of the victims, uploaded a video where he initially reported the death of a mother, Rhonita Miller LeBarón and her four children: Howard Jr, Krystal, and the twins Titus and Tiana. They were aboard the van caught fire after the attack. In addition, he announced that two more women and their children were missing. It was about Dawna Ray Langford with her nine children and Christina Langford Johnson with her baby, Faith.

Hours later, Langford also confirmed to this writing that the tragic balance had risen - until the close of the edition - to three lifeless women and at least six deceased children, while other children had survived.

Julián LeBarón explained that the other children managed to survive because they escaped. According to the story, the children - some with gunshot wounds – they  walked to Rancho La Mora, which is about 15 kilometers away.

At the scene, the other two trucks were shot and the women's bodies: “We are where the trucks are, and here were the two housewives and two children who were killed. One of the ladies was lying on the ground, next to the truck, I imagine she was trying to hide to survive when she was shot; and the baby ”added LeBarón.

The activist stressed that the Army and the Police are already in place. On the facts, Lase presumes that there was apparently a confrontation and the families were caught in the middle: "I don't know if there was confusion, because they are women and children who go innocently from their home," LeBarón said.

Area of dispute

The area where the states of Chihuahua and Sonora collide is a region that is mainly disputed by two criminal organizations: La Línea, a criminal group related to the Juarez Cartel, and the Sinaloa cartel, “Los Chapos,” confirmed the Prosecutor.

"These are the criminal organizations that in some way or another have a presence in that area of ​​the mountains, and among whom we assume there could be clashes over the control of the area of ​​Agua Sonora," said Peniche Espejel.

This is a territory that due to its proximity to the United States is prone "to the activity of criminal organizations dedicated to drug trafficking and migrant trafficking," explained the Prosecutor.

LeBaron hurt by crime

The LeBarón community has been severely hurt by crime for more than a decade. In May 2009, when the state was still ruled by the PRI José Reyes Baeza Terrazas, the young Erick LeBarón, then 17, was kidnapped. Their captors asked for a million dollars, however, the family refused to pay the ransom motivated by the idea that they would not encourage more cases like that to occur not only in their community, but throughout the country.

The kidnapping  of the young Mormon raised a strong protest movement. Hundreds of citizens of Galeana moved to the City of Chihuahua to demonstrate against insecurity.

The protests were led by Benjamin LeBaron, 36, who fought against the insecurity, extortion and kidnappings that members of his community lived after the arrival of organized crime groups.

Given the social pressure that reached the LeBaron movement, the kidnappers let Erick free, but that struggle cost the lives of two family members: Benjamín LeBarón and Luis Widmar Stubbs, were kidnapped and killed two months later.

After the murder, a blanket was placed near the victim's home. It said that the crime against Benjamin occurred in retaliation for his mobilizations and activism against insecurity.

A fight for the plaza: Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco Cartel  Nueva Generación, the Nueva Línea Cartel and Los Salazar in dispute"

"Los Jaguares," a cell of the Sinaloa Cartel , has been reported as the likely perpetrators of the massacre to the LeBarón family where three women and six children died, Chihuahua prosecutor César Augusto Peniche revealed.

In an interview the prosecutor explained that the area where the attack was carried out is disputed by criminal groups seeking control of the "plaza."

However, it is "Los Jaguares" - as they call themselves - who currently have a greater presence in that area, so it is speculated that they would be responsible for the massacre, although this information has not been officially confirmed.

He explained that this criminal group is a cell related to the Sinaloa Cartel (also called the Pacific Cartel), which has had internal disputes following the arrests of some of its most important members, as well as other groups, which has intensified the conflicts.

The prosecutor described "Los Jaguares" as "a group that has a presence in the Agua Prieta area and that has broad dominance in that area for drug crossing and may also be involved in the movement of migrants to the United States."

He said that one of its leaders would be " "un tal Arvizu", and that there are likely to be more leaders in different factions of the group.

He added that the adjoining area between Sonora and Chihuahua has been a violent scenario since the last few years due to the strong disputes that organizations such as the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco Cartel  Nueva Generación, the Nueva Línea Cartel and Los Salazar have for the "plaza".