A neighborhood football game in Mexico ended in a slaughter leaving at least 11 people dead and up to 12 injured on Sunday afternoon in Salamanca, a mid-sized city in the Guanajuato, one of the regions hardest hit by cartel violence.
Gunmen stormed a local football field shortly after the match ended and opened fire on spectators who were still gathered at the pitch, according to municipal authorities. The shooting took place in the community of Loma de Flores, in the northern part of Salamanca, a city of around 160,000 residents and home to one of Mexico’s most important oil refineries.
Cartel violence ends in slaughter on a football pitch in Mexico
“The death of 11 people has been confirmed. Ten died at the scene and one more while receiving medical attention at a hospital,” the Salamanca city government said in a statement. “In addition, several people were injured by gunfire and are currently receiving medical care.”
Mayor Cesar Prieto said the attack was part of a broader escalation of violence linked to criminal groups operating in the region. “We are going through a very serious moment, a deep social breakdown,” he said in a video message posted on social media. “There are criminal groups trying to subjugate the authorities, and that is something we will not allow.”
According to Prieto, the victims included men and women, as well as at least one minor among the wounded. Emergency services and paramedics rushed to the scene as security forces launched an operation to locate those responsible. By Sunday night, no arrests had been announced, and authorities had not disclosed a possible motive for the attack.
The massacre capped a weekend marked by extreme violence in Salamanca. On Saturday night, authorities reported the discovery of four bags containing human remains in different parts of the city. “Just yesterday, five people were murdered in the community of Cuatro de Altamira, and another in San Vicente de Flores,” Prieto said.
The mayor also revealed that last week there had been a threat involving an explosive device at the entrance of the Pemex refinery located in Salamanca, underscoring the strategic importance of the area. He called on President Claudia Sheinbaum and Guanajuato Governor Libia Denisse Garcia to intervene. “We need help to recover peace, security, and tranquility for our people,” he said.
Governor Garcia condemned the attack on Monday, calling it “an unacceptable act that deeply wounds Guanajuato families.” She added that security had been reinforced and promised that “the state will act firmly to protect citizens and bring those responsible to justice.”
Guanajuato has long been a battleground between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, rival groups fighting for control of fuel theft routes, drug distribution, and extortion networks. While federal authorities have highlighted a recent drop in homicide rates nationwide, episodes such as the Salamanca shooting illustrate how lethal violence continues to erupt, particularly in economically vital corridors where criminal interests collide.