Killings of police officers are on the rise in Chiapas state, which has become one of the Mexico's emerging violence hotspots due to disputes between crime groups. In the first four months of 2024, 9 police officers have been killed in the state of Chiapas, far exceeding historical full year counts.
Most recently on April 8th, two state police officers were gunned down while guarding a Telecomm Telégrafos branch (state-run telecommunications company) in the municipality of Ocozocoautla, Chiapas. Local news Diario de Chiapas reported that given that nothing was stolen, the attack was likely not a robbery but a targeted hit.
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| Images from Diario de Chiapas. |
This attack makes 9 police officers killed so far this year, a number which has already surpassed the count from any year recorded by Causa en Común, a think tank focused on security in Mexico. This makes Chiapas the state withe the second most police killings this year, after Guanajuato, which has 20.
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| Graph made by author using Causa en Común database on police killings. Note: 2024 numbers are YTD (Jan 1 - April 9) |
Chiapas has become the front for a bloody territorial dispute between factions of the Sinaloa Cartel, the CJNG, as well as local crime syndicates such as the San Juan Chamula Cartel. Symptoms of criminal conflict long absent from the state such as shootouts between armed criminals in up-armored vehicles and security forces on highways, killings of police and political candidates, and narco videos have become common.
Between 2022 and 2023, homicides increased 52% from 377 to 500, but some have suggested the actual increases in deaths are much higher. For example, a local NGO claimed that 25 civilians were killed in the crossfire when the Guardia Nacional engaged armed criminals earlier this month. The government reported that the actual death toll was 10, not 25.
Discrepancies in reporting are compounded by the insecurity in the state. Local journalists face grave threats, and there are some areas where reporters totally avoid, stated Isain Mandujano, a journalist reporting on the region for 20 years.
Discrepancies in reporting are compounded by the insecurity in the state. Local journalists face grave threats, and there are some areas where reporters totally avoid, stated Isain Mandujano, a journalist reporting on the region for 20 years.
On April 10, the United States' Department of State issued a cautionary alert for the Ocozocoautla region, restricting U.S. government employees from traveling there, and warning US citizens of the danger.
Sources: Diario de Chiapas 4/9, Proceso 4/8, US Embassy Travel Alert, Causa en Común, Milenio, Proceso, El Financiero, Isain Twitter
Where is a safe place to eat Tacos and Empanadas or maybe some fried fish?
ReplyDeleteJose's taqueria is the safest place to eat delicious tacos and if you want empanadas see the empanada lady on Avenida siete
DeleteChiapas is not safe.
Delete9:50 Chiapas is safe as long as you don't eat the street food
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con el javier en el mercado de tapachula,chiapas...........
ReplyDeletehuaso...mira esto segun ..proceso 31,03.24..carteles mexicanos contratan a ex militares y ex guerrilleros comobianos,con capacidades tacticas,en guerra irregular ,es decir guerra de guerrillas y combate a grupos paramilitares de los narcos colombianos,con capacidades tacticas y acostumbrados a vivir en la jungla ,donde a veces llueve 24 horas al dia.....si a eso le sumas a los .....kaibiles........ex comandos elites entrenados para combatir a la guerrila en guatemala,en los anos 80.......... solo date una idea,enfermeros militares,especialistas en comunicaciones ,logistica militar,francotiradores,etc,gente que tiene 20 o mas anos de experiencia ,acostumbrados a no comer por dias........ asi que como decimos en el rancho ta canijo...............................................................
ReplyDelete633, what. why iss kaibiles at the shirt with the Guatemalan over some fancy lady play..
DeleteNuevo Laredo has no police department for 2 decades now. Mexico not safe.
ReplyDelete6:35 - That’s just completely false. Nuevo Laredo has multiple police departments as well as military bases and National Guard bases. Just a couple weeks ago, 12 cartel members were captured by state police with the help of the military.
DeleteMayo's men are searching for Mencho with their tablazo and will spank him with that painful stick on the butt when they find him because he's a bad boy
ReplyDeleteWhere have you been.
DeleteMencho been 6 feet under for the last two years.
Mencho is hiding 6 feet underground because he fears Mayos tablazo
Delete8:20
DeleteThey bury you 9 feet under in Mexico
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2.31 Einstein you need an Energy drink with lots of sugar.
DeleteWhat 8:20 is referring is that mencho is buried 6 feet under. I know many don't get the expression. In other words he is dead.
In other words, sr. Mencho is "on the wrong side of the daisies", or as the wise guys in new York say: "he's sleeping with a spare tire"
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Y’all are very late. The DEA has debunked the “ Mencho dead myth “ they keep a mole in all these cartels. The DEA would know if he was dead.
DeleteThe latest post from DEA, is to spread the word, that he is alive. That way Congress can give more funding for international covert activities.
DeleteThey might go as far as getting a body double, get pictures taken and people will really say he still alive. Sadam Husein had a body double.
I’ve always hated how some news articles refer to cartel gunmen as civilians. I thought that 10 innocent civilians had actually been killed, until I clicked on the link and realized that the 10 civilians that they were referring to were actually 10 cartel gunmen. 5 gunmen killed in a shootout between rival cartels and another 5 cartel gunmen killed in a shootout with the National Guard.
ReplyDeleteMijo there was a time the news, were calling Cartel members...Commandos.
DeleteFair criticism! Its difficult to tell who the bodies are in the days after an engagement. Especially since MX security forces are known to plant weapons to cover up mistakes.
Deleteto..beto einstein....estos plebes son compas a lo mejor andan pistiando juntos en la sierra.....como la ves.................................
ReplyDeleteI have read multiple comments from Chipas "locals" saying how MAIZ senor de los caballos cartel Chiapas cartel de Guatemala and CJNG are all the same side just different names
ReplyDelete@8:22 yep
DeleteI wonder what the death count would be if the disappeared were also counted, there are hundreds of clandestine graves across Mexico.
ReplyDeleteAdd tens of thousands more, easily.
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