ASSESSMENTS

Eliminating the Cartel That Killed 9 Americans in Mexico Will Not Be Easy

Nov 5, 2019 | 16:12 GMT

A funeral for Benjamin LeBaron on July 9, 2009, in Chihuahua state, Mexico. LeBaron was a victim of cartel violence.

A funeral for Benjamin LeBaron on July 9, 2009, in Chihuahua state, Mexico. LeBaron was a victim of cartel violence.

(STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Highlights

  • Gunmen killed nine Americans passing through the area of La Mora, which is in eastern Sonora and western Chihuahua.
  • Heavy fighting between forces loyal to the Sinaloa cartel (Gente Nueva) and remnants of the Juarez cartel (La Linea) has racked that region.
  • The criminal groups operating in the mountains of this region are firmly entrenched, and it will take a significant counterinsurgency effort to root them out.

Gunmen in Mexico ambushed three vehicles carrying three American women and 14 of their children in a remote part of Sonora state on Nov. 4, killing the women and six children, El Heraldo de Chihuahua reported. Whether this ambush was an intentional attack or a case of mistaken identity, the involvement of dual-nationality Americans has brought a great deal of media attention to the incident, and this will undoubtedly result in additional pressure on Mexican authorities from the U.S. government. The criminal groups operating in the mountains of this region are firmly entrenched, however, and have access to extensive resources. It will take a significant counterinsurgency effort to root them out....

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