On Sunday, December 3, 2023, the bodies of five young men, believed to be students at the Latina University of Mexico, were discovered inside a vehicle on a dirt road on the outskirts of Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico.
The incident occurred in a region fraught with drug cartel violence. The cause of death, suspected to be gunshot wounds, remains to be confirmed by the prosecutors.
Nearby a local university, the area where the students were found has been thrust into the center of a high-profile investigation. Diego Sinhue Rodríguez, the governor of Guanajuato, has committed to conducting an “exhaustive” investigation to uncover the facts behind these killings.
This incident is in line with a previous violent event in June in Celaya, involving a car bomb explosion targeted at law enforcement, which claimed the life of a National Guard officer. The bomb was linked to the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel, known for its territorial rivalry with the Jalisco cartel over Guanajuato.
The discovery of the students’ bodies is a stark reminder of the persistent issue of cartel violence in the region. The identities of the victims have not been disclosed, and the investigation into the motive behind their deaths is ongoing.
The longstanding conflict between the Santa Rosa de Lima and Jalisco cartels has been a key factor in the rising tide of violence and insecurity in the state of Guanajuato.