Blood pool in Mexico: Seven dead for cartel increments in Guanajuato!

Blood pool in Mexico: Seven dead for cartel increments in Guanajuato!

In a shocking act of violence, seven people were shot on the open street in San Bartolo de Berrios, Mexico. This incident occurred on Monday, May 20, 2025, and once again illustrates the serious security situation in the state of Guanajuato, where criminal gangs and drug cartels dominate. In addition to the corpses, the police found a damaged small truck and two signs with messages from the notorious Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, which is active in the region.

Guanajuato is one of the Mexican states with the highest violent rates. Last year, 3,151 murders were recorded here, which corresponds to 10.5 percent of all murders in Mexico. The region, known for its tourism and industrial activities, houses large automotive works of companies such as Mazda and Toyota, but is also at the center of a brutal conflict between rival drug cartels.

antitrust conflicts and their effects

The Santa Rosa de Lima Kartell, founded in 2014 by David Rogel Figueroa, known as "El Marro", has its main source of income in oil theft. wikipedia reports that after a few years of power and influence at the end of 2020 through state raids and conflicts with the rival Jalisco Nueva Cartell (CJng) many territories lost has. Nevertheless, it still has a presence in different cities in the state, including in San Bartolo de Berrios.

The clashes between these criminal organizations go beyond classic drug trafficking: they also include money laundering, blackmail and human trafficking. The conflicts between the Santa Rosa de Lima Kartell and the CJNG have led to a vicious circle of violence from which the civilian population is massively affected. The BPB notes that between 70 and 100 people are murdered or kidnapped in Mexico every day, while a significant part of the population feels insecure.

government measures and challenges

The recently formed government under President Claudia Sheinbaum is now pursuing extensive reforms to combat the security crisis in the country. Changes in the judiciary and a stronger military presence to combat the drug cartels are planned. In addition, the National Guard is subject to the Ministry of Defense to intensify the measures against the groups of violence.

Nevertheless, the challenge remains great. Corruption within state institutions, the inadequate training of security forces and social inequality contribute to continuing violence. According to bpb , over 35 percent of the population live in poverty, which is a breeding ground for the growth of criminal structures.

The brutal murders in San Bartolo de Berrios underline the desperate location, in which many regions of Mexico are hardly safe and the citizens suffer from the struggles of the drug cartels. According to OE24 it remains to be seen how the government will react to this escalating violence and what long-term measures are taken to break through the cycle of violence.