VIOLENCE ERUPTS ACROSS GUANAJUATO, MEXICO FOLLOWING ALLEGED ARREST OF CSRL CARTEL LEADER "EL MUNECO"
1/31/2023
[LATAM]: Last night, it was reported by eyewitnesses that several municipalities within Guanajuato, Mexico are suffering from elevated cartel violence. According to local media cartel members have been burning vehicles, and businesses as well as initiating firefights with security forces following the alleged capture of Cartel Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL) leader “El Muneco.” The incidents began to occur around 22:30 local time when armed cartel members engaged with security forces in the Juventino Rosas, Celaya, and Villagran municipalities. By midnight videos began to circulate on social media of burning vehicles being used as roadblocks, and several convenience stores succumbing to arsonists. Police have confirmed that approximately 5 armed individuals were arrested, however, police have not yet confirmed the arrest of the high-profile individual.
Ever since Ovidio Guzman’s first arrest in 2019 and the events that transpired in what has been labeled as “Culiacanzo,” cartels have begun adopting this strategy to pressure the national government into surrendering high-profile individuals they have arrested. Similar to “Culiacanzo” cartels have begun utilizing burning vehicles to set up roadblocks, informal checkpoints, destruction of property, and ambushes on security personnel to overextend local security forces, slow government movement, and cause terror in hopes of pushing the government into submission.
The CSRL emerged from the “post-fragmentation period” when many of the larger organizations began to decentralize breaking up into smaller cells and factions. The organization is mostly based in Guanajuato and has been found in some neighboring states, however, they have not made a permanent hold there yet. CSRL has proven itself to be extremely resilient as its been able to sustain itself in its constant fight with the much larger organization CJNG. Due to its geographic location, the group’s main activity is oil theft, but it has expanded into drug trafficking and extortion rackets that they are still trying to solidify. Despite this, the group has made it known that they aspire to become a multi-state organization rivaling some of the largest in the country.
[FIGURES 1-2]: Pictures of some of the damage in Guanajuato
[FIGURE 3]: Map depicting where most of the violence took place
[FIGURES 4-5]: Twitter activity surrounding the incidents