Different pipelines pass through Guanajuato that are coveted by criminal groups, such as the Tula-Salamanca, the Salamanca-León and Salamanca-Guadalajara; These pass through Guanajuato municipalities such as Apaseo el Alto, Celaya, Salamanca, Irapuato, León and Pénjamo, among others.
According to the Institute for Municipal Management, Administration and Liaison, Guanajuato is the third State that is most affected by huachicoleo in the Country; Hidalgo and Jalisco precede it.
The citizen observatory recorded that Guanajuato had 475 clandestine shots in the first half of this year, so a “picket” was identified every 9 hours and 13 minutes.
Likewise, the entity is located in a strategic area for interconnection with the center of the country and due to its borders with Jalisco, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Michoacán and Zacatecas.
According to federal intelligence information, in 41 of 46 municipalities there is a presence of criminal groups; Of these, in three the three groups mentioned above operate, in 26 only 2 operate, in 12 one and in five there is no presence of organized crime.
Derived from the struggle they have, the group with the greatest predominance is the CJNG (with 31 Municipalities), followed by the CSRL (with 10), and with hegemony in the Laja-Bajío region.
The CJNG’s strength is in the southern region and derives from the alleged co-optation of municipal officials and police elements.
Enrique García Jaramillo, who in 2023 was commander of the 16th. Military Zone, told El Sol de Irapuato that another of the main interests of the CJNG and CDS was the industrial corridor, which crosses Irapuato, Salamanca, Celaya and León.
In addition to huachicoleo, the interests of criminal groups also lie in extortion, theft of heavy cargo and drug trafficking.
Although the leader of the CSRL, José Antonio Yépez Ortiz, alias “El Marro”, was captured in August 2020 and sentenced to 60 years in prison, violence persists in the Entity because his relatives continue to lead the group and there have been internal conflicts.
Since the capo’s arrest, homicides per 100,000 inhabitants have decreased, but they still have high numbers.