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Video duration: 5 min
Mexico: the city of Celaya blighted by the violence of drug traffickers
Mexico is in the grip of a gang war. The city of Celaya, plagued by these cartels, is confronted daily with ultra-violence and murders. Thus, nearly 500 people were killed there in 2023.
(France 2)
Mexico is in the grip of a gang war. The city of Celaya, plagued by these cartels, is confronted daily with ultra-violence and murders. Thus, nearly 500 people were killed there in 2023.
With each patrol, the police officers of Celaya (Mexico) know that they are risking their lives. They take France Télévisions journalists with them into what they call the “red zone”, a neighborhood where they are, at any moment, ready to open fire. “The gangs send men on motorbikes who are responsible for watching us”, explains a police officer. Each two-wheeler is observed with nervousness, because here, around twenty police officers have been killed since the start of 2024, most often in ambushes.
Police officers targeted outside their duty
Celaya, 500,000 inhabitants, is the scene of a bloody war waged by cartels. Police stations are attacked with grenades. The daily life of the agents is made up of chases with drug traffickers, and shootouts in broad daylight, in the heart of the city. On the sidewalks, the bodies of victims pile up. A few weeks ago, a police station was targeted in the middle of the night, with 50-caliber bullets fired. Police officers are also targeted outside of their duty. Settling of scores which also affects traders. The message is clear: everyone must comply with cartel law. Nearly 500 people were killed in 2023 in Celaya.
