Shootouts and a Car Bomb Explosion Leave at Least 10 Dead in Guanajuato

"redlogarythm" and "MX" for Borderland Beat

Car bomb explosion (left) and shootout aftermath (right) in Guanajuato

Yesterday was a violent day in Guanajuato after two large shootouts and a car bomb explosion were reported. The first incident occurred at around 2:00 p.m. in the municipality of Jerécuaro, when a shootout broke out between the National Guard (GN) and suspect organized crime members.

According to police reports, two vehicles with armed men were spotted by the GN in Rancho de Guadalupe rural community. When the officers asked them to stop, the gunmen shot at the GN and a shootout broke out. Five gunmen were killed and no GN casualties were reported.

Later that afternoon at around 6:40 p.m. in the municipality of Tarimoro, gunmen killed five people who were in a gathering in Lomas de Arroyo Hondo neighborhood. In Celaya, a car bomb exploded near the exit highway that goes to Apaseo el Grande, close the municipality of La Laja, at around 9:00 p.m.

The transit police spotted an abandoned car on the side of the road. When they inspected it, they discovered it was a Honda CRV with fake license plates and that had been reported as stolen. They immediately called the municipal police, who discovered mysterious packages inside the car. After a few minutes the car exploded. The oil tank also exploded and spread the fire through the surrounding area.

Although the official version states that there were no casualties, unofficial reports indicated that a person was found inside the burning vehicle.

Background

Violence in several municipalities across Guanajuato is on the rise. Last week, three simultaneous attacks reportedly carried out by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) in Celaya left seven dead. In the first attack, five people were killed inside a metal factory. Two more people were killed two car dealerships.

Two weeks before that incident, five people – including a university student and a twelve-year-old – were killed inside a bar by suspected organized crime members. This incident was covered by Borderland Beat.

The area of the explosion is located in the same town where another car bomb exploded last month (on March 9) near a National Guard base. Two weeks prior to that attack, Celaya has a few bomb incidents. The first one occurred inside a bank and the other in the local bus station. These incidents were also covered by Borderland Beat.

Although no one has been accused of the shootouts or the explosion, the two main criminal groups operating in Guanajuato, the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (CSRL) and the CJNG, both have the resources and capabilities to perform such actions either to bring attention to their rivals or to directly threatened authorities or civilians.

Note: Multiple sources were used for this report. For better readability, they were linked in the body paragraphs above.