Internal War Within 'Los Mexicles' Left 14 Dead Over the Weekend In Ciudad Juárez

“MX” for Borderland Beat

Authorities investigate a crime scene in Ciudad Juarez; the state-attorney general says the violence is driven by gangs competing over street corners to sell heroin, cocaine, and meth.

Another violent weekend took place in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. 14 people were murdered in different parts of the city. This brought the total monthly homicide rate to 51 in the first 11 days of April, an upward trend compared to the previous three months.

Of all the April victims, 47 are men and four are women. In 31 cases, a firearm was used; 17 more died from violent physical blows or from bladed weapons. Last Friday there were five murders, followed by six on Saturday.

An internal war between two leaders of the criminal group “Los Mexicles” is the main cause of the executions that occurred in recent days, according to a crime report conducted by the State Prosecutor’s Office in the Northern Zone of Chihuahua.

Prosecutor Jorge Nava López pointed out that the increase in homicides is due to a division among the members of the gang, who are fighting among themselves for control of the drug sale spots in Ciudad Juarez.

Borderland Beat analysis

Los Mexicles are based in southern Ciudad Juarez. However, most of the homicides in April were committed in the northwestern sector (near Anapra sector), where La Empresa and Los Aztecas are based.

As previously reported by Borderland Beat, most of the homicides in Ciudad Juarez are also driven by gangs competing over street corners to sell heroin, cocaine, and meth.

Several drug dealers of Los Mexicles have been executed by another Mexicles faction in different neighborhoods. However, investigators say that one of the Mexicles faction is working with another group. Most of the homicides are concentrated in three areas of the city in the northwestern zone.

Anapra is the area of ​​Ciudad Juárez where the most homicides were committed in the month of April. This part of the city borders Sunland Park, New Mexico, which is part of the Juarez–El Paso, Texas, border area.

Sources: Diario de Juarez; (2); (3); (4); Borderland Beat archives