As the head of a small start-up cartel, which analysts say was largely run as a family crime group, Mr. Yépez showed uncharacteristic pluck, challenging both the government and much larger and more diversified criminal groups. But the government of Mr. López Obrador, which has placed paramount importance on the oil economy, kept targeting the oil racket. The fight between the two groups made Guanajuato the country’s deadliest state last year, with more than 3,000 killings. “We are talking about a state with 12 homicides a day, and 360 murders in the last month alone,” said Eduardo Guerrero, a security analyst in Mexico City. “That’s 15 percent of the nation’s homicides.”The New Generation cartel also tried to assassinate the head of security in Mexico City in a brazen daytime fusillade in June.

Source: International New York Times August 02, 2020 21:45 UTC