Car Bombs Target Police in Guanajuato Amid Cartel Violence \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ A car bomb exploded outside a police station in Acambaro, Guanajuato, injuring three people, with another explosion reported in Jerecuaro, though no injuries were reported. The near-simultaneous blasts are believed to be linked to drug cartels waging turf wars in the violence-stricken state. Newly inaugurated President Claudia Sheinbaum reaffirmed her commitment to avoiding direct conflict with cartels despite the increasing use of military-style tactics like car bombs. The incidents highlight the challenges the Mexican government faces in curbing escalating violence in Guanajuato and beyond.
Guanajuato Car Bomb Attack: Quick Look
- Incident: A car bomb outside a police station in Acambaro, Guanajuato, injured three people; another explosion occurred in Jerecuaro without casualties.
- Cartel Activity: Drug cartels, including the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel, are suspected to be behind the attacks as part of their ongoing battle for control over Guanajuato.
- Government Response: President Claudia Sheinbaum has pledged to continue the “hugs, not bullets” policy of non-confrontation but faces rising cartel-related violence across multiple states.
- Escalating Violence: Guanajuato remains Mexico’s most violent state, with cartel clashes involving car bombs, IEDs, and bomb-dropping drones becoming more frequent.
- Challenges Ahead: The Sheinbaum administration must navigate increasing cartel violence while attempting to avoid a return to full-scale confrontations with organized crime groups.
Deep Look:
The bomb in Acambaro caused extensive destruction, with photos showing parts of the burnt-out vehicle scattered across the street outside the police station. The powerful explosion shattered windows and blew off doors of homes in the surrounding area. Although no fatalities were reported, the blast marked one of the most significant car bomb attacks in Mexico since June 2023, when a cartel detonated a bomb that killed a National Guard officer in Celaya, another city in Guanajuato. In Jerecuaro, the second explosion caused panic but fortunately did not result in any injuries.
These near-simultaneous attacks are believed to be linked to the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel, a powerful criminal organization that has been engaged in a violent struggle with the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG) for control over Guanajuato’s lucrative drug trafficking routes. The state has been a hotspot for cartel violence in recent years, with frequent clashes, kidnappings, and attacks on civilians and law enforcement.
The timing and coordination of Thursday’s blasts suggest that the attacks were intended to send a message to local authorities and President Claudia Sheinbaum’s new administration. David Saucedo, a security analyst based in Guanajuato, believes these incidents are part of a broader strategy by the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel to assert its dominance and demonstrate its power in the region. “Although these attacks in Acambaro and Jerecuaro are part of a local (cartel) strategy, they are also intended as a message from the criminal gangs to the president and the governor, that they will continue in the battle and will continue fighting for Guanajuato,” Saucedo said.
The explosions in Guanajuato come just weeks after Claudia Sheinbaum was inaugurated as Mexico’s new president on October 1, 2023. Despite the rising violence, Sheinbaum has committed to maintaining the non-confrontational “hugs, not bullets” policy established by her predecessor, former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador. This approach emphasizes avoiding direct armed conflict with drug cartels and instead focuses on social programs aimed at reducing the number of young people recruited into criminal organizations. However, the policy has come under increasing scrutiny, as cartel violence continues to escalate across the country, particularly in states like Guanajuato, Sinaloa, and Chiapas.
In response to Thursday’s attacks, Sheinbaum reaffirmed her commitment to avoiding direct confrontations with the cartels. “We are not going to return to a war against the narcos,” Sheinbaum stated, instructing the military and law enforcement agencies to continue de-escalation efforts. However, critics argue that her administration is already facing a de facto war with the cartels, even if it does not acknowledge it as such.
The use of car bombs and other military-style tactics by drug cartels highlights the evolving nature of Mexico’s organized crime landscape. In recent years, cartels have increasingly employed advanced weaponry and explosives to target rivals, law enforcement, and government officials. Just a few months prior, in July 2023, the CJNG orchestrated a series of seven coordinated roadside bombs in Jalisco, killing four police officers and two civilians. These improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were buried in roadways and detonated as police vehicles passed over them, illustrating the cartels’ growing use of guerrilla-style warfare tactics.
Guanajuato, Mexico’s most violent state, has been at the epicenter of this new wave of cartel violence. The Santa Rosa de Lima cartel and CJNG have fought brutal turf wars in the region for years, with thousands of civilians caught in the crossfire. The state has consistently recorded the highest homicide rates in the country, and local authorities have struggled to regain control of many areas. The cartels’ increasingly bold attacks on police stations, public officials, and civilians reflect their determination to maintain control over lucrative smuggling routes and illicit businesses such as fuel theft.
Despite the mounting violence, President Sheinbaum has promised to make reducing crime in Guanajuato a top priority. However, her administration has thus far provided little detail on how it plans to achieve this without engaging in direct confrontation with the cartels. Saucedo, the security analyst, argues that the government’s reluctance to openly acknowledge the severity of cartel violence is hampering its ability to address the problem. “In the federal and state governments, there is a resistance to talking about narco-terrorism, because they think it will create a bad image for the country,” Saucedo said. “The truth is that Mexico already has a bad image regarding crime and violence.”
The situation in Guanajuato is becoming increasingly concerning for Mexico’s federal government, as the country’s security challenges have also become a topic of debate in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Some conservative voices in the U.S. have called for more direct intervention, including the potential deployment of U.S. military forces to combat Mexican drug cartels. Saucedo noted that the Mexican government is wary of such rhetoric, fearing that acknowledging the problem as narco-terrorism could provide justification for U.S. military intervention in the country’s ongoing conflict with organized crime.
The Mexican government’s current strategy has so far failed to deliver a significant reduction in violence. Former president López Obrador’s appeals to the cartels to reduce bloodshed and his emphasis on social programs aimed at preventing cartel recruitment have not been enough to curb Mexico’s historically high homicide rates. Sheinbaum has vowed to continue López Obrador’s policy, but the rising violence in states like Guanajuato suggests that a different approach may be needed to effectively combat the cartels.
For many in Guanajuato, the growing violence has turned daily life into a struggle for survival. Communities across the state have been devastated by the constant threat of cartel-related violence, with residents fearing both the criminal organizations and the potential for indiscriminate government crackdowns. As cartels continue to fight for control of the state, ordinary people are caught in the crossfire, living with the uncertainty of when the next attack will strike.
President Sheinbaum’s ability to manage this escalating violence without resorting to open warfare will be a critical test of her administration. With pressure mounting from both within Mexico and abroad, her government must find a way to balance its commitment to de-escalation with the need to restore law and order in areas that have been overrun by organized crime.
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