Tragic massacre escalates U.S.-Mexico border tensions, calling for an end to Mexico’s cyclical violence
Three mothers and their fourteen children were travelling along a remote road between the northern Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua, when they were suddenly ambushed by gunfire on the morning of November 4th 2019. They were in three separate sport utility vehicles and could not defend themselves against the unrelenting rounds of gunfire, thereby resulting in the tragic death of three mothers and six children. One of the vehicles was effulged in flames, trapping members inside, but several wounded children miraculously survived to seek help.
Mexican authorities state that the family was caught between a clash of local rival gangs, with crime specialists debating whether it was a targeted incident or a case of mistaken identity. The victims are dual US-Mexico citizens and members of LeBaron family, a sect of the fundamentalist Mormon community. The community called on authorities to assess the years of neglect, as their region is a battleground for local cartels, and they are not unaccustomed to violent spillovers from their operations. Before the attack, the Los Salazar gang from Sonora state, exchanged fire with members of the La Línea, a Chihuahua-based enforcement arm of the Juarez Cartel, at a shootout in Agua Prieta. Consequently, the La Línea gang was dispatched to the region where they straddled the border to prevent their rivals from entering. It is assumed that they mistook the family’s SUV vehicles as their rival gang’s as it entered their territory.
According to the Washington Post, the FBI attributes the incident to be beyond local cartel operations and thinks that it is linked with the broader opioid and fentanyl crisis. It is noted that the Sinaloa cartel, once headed by the infamous ‘El Chapo,’ oversees the most extensive U.S. drug trafficking operation. The most powerful transnational criminal group in Mexico also rivals the Chihuahua cartel for dominance in the new drug market. This event sheds a harsh international spotlight on Mexico’s escalating violence, stemming from the broader issues of illicit drug trafficking, gang perpetrated homicide, and political instability.
A key factor affecting Mexico’s rising violence stems from the high political turnover, which correlates with unground criminal organizations’ ability to establish authority and has resulted in the disintegration of public security. The approval rating of Mexico’s President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has subsequently plummeted due to the public’s growing concern regarding his inability to craft an effective approach to deal with increasing civilian causalities. The President has defended his approach from critics by stating, “we don’t think that by opening fire, massacring, using force, blood and fire, we will resolve this problem.” He highlighted how the use of intelligence, rather than force, is the most appropriate response to deal with roots causes of the conflicts. President Obrador noted that he aims to achieve this by alleviating poverty through the creation of social programs.
However, a 200,000 American guns cross the border illegally into Mexico each year and Mexico has been lobbying the United States for more than a decade to crack down on this inflow. Yet no proposal has been brought forward. Despite support and approval by the House for a Bipartisan Background Checks Act, a measure to make it more difficult to steal firearms, the Senate has delayed this bill initiative. Conversely from Mexico’s ‘hands-off approach,’ the United States has suggested a more aggressive hard-line criminal justice response to deal with the cartel sparked from the recent tragedy. This is evident from President Trump’s reaction on twitter, which stated that “this is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth.”
Both countries’ governments need to find a balanced approach to work cooperatively in creating tangible policy solutions. The use of armed forces may seem like an appealing solution to dismantle large criminal organizations; however, it will only lead to more bloodshed. Mexican policy analyses suggest that the first focus should be more towards enforcing an equitable justice system. This is achieved through establishing an effective police force within local communities to create better oversight and providing services to impoverished communities.
Evidently, Mexico’s current predicament is dire––but it is not hopeless. With assistance from the international community, a united task force can be created to break the cycle of violence and ensure better protection for the vulnerable communities who are at the crossfires of the United States-Mexico border tensions.