Chihuahua Rehab Center Massacre Tied to Conflict Over Local Drug Trade Tristan Clavel - InSight Crime
go to original October 3, 2017

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest of Barrio Azteca leader Eduardo Ravelo (FBI)

Authorities have blamed conflict over local drug markets for a bloody massacre at a drug treatment center in Mexico, the latest example of violence fueled by Mexico's fragmented criminal landscape.

On September 26, half a dozen men armed with AK-47s invaded a rehabilitation center in the state of Chihuahua and indiscriminately slaughtered 15 people, Excelsior reported.

The Chihuahua State Attorney's Office announced during a September 27 press conference that the Barrio Azteca gang was thought be responsible for the massacre.

Authorities' working theory at this early stage of the investigation is that the killings were spurred by a turf war between two gangs reportedly working as cartel subcontractors: Barrio Azteca, also known as "Los Aztecas," which is tied to the Juárez Cartel, and the "Mexicles," which is linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. Both gangs appear to be vying for control of the local drug market.

Officials also suspect Barrio Azteca of being behind a spate of deadly attacks in bars that have bloodied Chihuahua in recent months. The last incident occurred four days before the rehab center massacre, leaving five dead in a nightclub.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is currently offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest of Barrio Azteca leader Eduardo Ravelo, who has a place on the FBI's "Top Ten Most Wanted List."

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