SALAMANCA, Mexico (AP) — Beer cans, candles and blood-stained clothing littered a soccer field in central Mexico on Monday, a day after gunmen killed 11 people and injured 12 others during a gathering after an amateur match.
While authorities investigate the killings, Guanajuato state Gov. Libia Dennise García said Monday that “security in the region has been reinforced” with state and federal forces. She said on social media that the state “will act decisively to protect families, restore peace to the community, and bring those responsible to justice.”
The massacre took place in the municipality of Salamanca, in the state with the highest number of homicides in the country. The region has been wracked by intense violence linked to the territorial dispute between the local Santa Rosa de Lima cartel — a violent group primarily dedicated to fuel theft and trafficking — and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, CJNG.
Salamanca Mayor César Prieto — the only official to provide early details on Sunday — described the massacre as part of a “wave of violence” and appealed to President Claudia Sheinbaum for help.
It also comes a few months before the start of the FIFA World Cup, which Mexico is co-hosting with Canada and the United States, and as the government seeks to highlight its progress in security.
Sheinbaum didn’t address the events in Salamanca during her news briefing on Monday, deferring to the local prosecutor’s office, which has only confirmed an ongoing investigation.
Authorities have not offered any hypotheses regarding the possible motive for the attack.
Security analyst David Saucedo, who was based in Guanajuato for many years, suggests the attack was likely an “indiscriminate” act by the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel.
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People’s items left behind cover the ground at a soccer field the day after gunmen opened fire, killing and wounding people, in Salamanca, Mexico, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Mario Armas)
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People’s items left behind cover the ground at a soccer field the day after gunmen opened fire, killing and wounding people, in Salamanca, Mexico, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Mario Armas)
According to Saucedo, the group may have targeted the public specifically to provoke a federal military surge into territory currently held by its rivals, the Jalisco Cartel — a move he says “undermines the image of security Mexico hopes to project on the eve of the World Cup.”
The Jalisco cartel is the fastest-growing criminal organization in Mexico. It was declared a terrorist organization by the Trump administration, which also targeted the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel.
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
