Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
The number of murders continues to rise under the Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) government. More than 36,000 people lost their lives in 2019 amid a deepening of Mexico’s drug war.
We have routinely shared deteriorating conditions of Mexico in the last half-decade, and the warzones that have developed on many border towns.
Last month, the US consulate in Mexico’s border city of Nuevo Laredo issued a warning as intense gunfire broke out across the city. Here’s the audio from the epic gun battle that unfolded (audio is from US side):
This is horrible #NuevoLaredo pic.twitter.com/fd4REo9wmT
— Kαяø⁷ IS SEEING BTS (@cypherlarry_) January 2, 2020
Now it appears the Mexican Army has stumbled across a large bunker used by cartels.
Breitbart said the “bunker was previously discovered in 2018 and was only used to store damaged vehicles.”
Here’s a video of Mexico’s Army entering the structure only to find a charred SUV and bullet casings.
Elementos de la @SEDENAmx durante reconocimientos realizados el 12/02/2020 localizaron un búnker con aprox 70 Mts. Longitud por 6 Mts. De ancho y 2.5 Mts. De altura a inmediaciones de la col. Vista Hermosa del mpio de Reynosa, Tamps.
Vídeo 1 pic.twitter.com/j2B9qcFrfc
— La Voz Del Pueblo (Oficial) (@LPueblo2) February 16, 2020
The bunker is located in Vista Hermosa neighborhood of Reynosa, was previously discovered by the Mexican Army in 2018 during a raid that was littered with Claymore mines and had a treasure trove of weapons.
Breitbart notes that the bunker was used to store weapons, armored vehicles, and other combat materials for cartels.
En el citado Búnker se localizaron evidencias de disparos de arma de fuego, diversos cartuchos y cascos regados en el piso así como un vehículo incendiado mismo que se encontraba en el interior de referido Búnker.
Imágenes pic.twitter.com/jWxE5ukMxl
— La Voz Del Pueblo (Oficial) (@LPueblo2) February 16, 2020
Why is this concerning? Well, the bunker is just miles away from Texas. The border region is a hotspot for cartel violence that is at risk of spilling over onto US soil and could engender Americans.
Some of the most recent gun battles on the border have seen cartel members using machine guns, armored vehicles, explosives, .50 caliber rifles, and other devices that would generally be found in a warzone.
All of the above suggests AMLO has lost control of his own country, as his policies are failing to curb violence and arrest cartel gun battles that are routinely occurring on the border.
AMLO’s recent deployment of an elite marine force to fight drug cartels on the border was most likely due to pressure by the Trump administration, who cited the total Mexican murder count in 2019 exceeded the 2018 record of 36,685.
Trump began increasing pressure on Mexico in November following the murders of three mothers and six of their children in a fundamentalist Mormon compound in the northern state of Sonora. Cartel gunman reportedly ambushed the families while fighting for control of the area where the victims lived.
It’s only a matter of time before Trump sends in the military to clear out cartels on the border.
Always found Mexican military perfectly satisfactory in project in North Mexico.
Most likely just an excuse to send military into mexico for siding with bolivias true govt, sameway they use isis in syria
They could learn some things from SAA :)
Viva SAA, viva las Fuerzas Armadas Mexicanas! We share the same kind of enemy, and both forces are the last lines of defense the people have
Problem is AMLO thinks that the best way to fight the cartels is not to fight them. The stupid mf.
“We have routinely shared deteriorating conditions of Mexico in the last half-decade” Is Zero hedge kidding? The problem of violence has risen since 2007! It started in 2000 when fox took the goverment, but the worst years were 2007-2012, obviously we have a goverment which has decided to be a circus and don’t take seriously the real problems the mexicans have