Tue Jan 07 06:01:19 UTC 2025: ## Mexican Security Forces Kill 10 Suspected Gunmen in Guanajuato Clash
**Celaya, Mexico –** Ten suspected criminals were killed and three police officers injured in a shootout between security forces and gunmen in Yuriria, Guanajuato state, Mexico, on January 6, 2025. The early morning clash involved a joint police and military patrol. Authorities initially reported eight deaths, but later confirmed the toll at ten, adding that twelve firearms, several stolen vehicles, and ballistic vests were seized. The Guanajuato state security department stated that security personnel used legitimate and proportional force.
The violence is attributed to the ongoing conflict between the Santa Rosa de Lima gang and the Jalisco New Generation cartel, two powerful drug cartels operating in the region. Guanajuato, a central industrial state, has become a hotspot for cartel violence. This incident is part of a wider context of drug-related violence in Mexico, which has claimed over 450,000 lives since 2006, according to official figures. Despite President Claudia Sheinbaum’s inauguration in October 2024 and her focus on social policy to address the root causes of crime, gang violence persists. She has rejected a full-scale war on cartels, opting instead to enhance intelligence gathering and continue existing strategies.
First Piper 