Early Friday, December 29, 2023, gunmen launched a deadly attack on a party in Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico, resulting in eight fatalities and at least 23 injuries.
Three assailants, arriving at the scene in a pickup truck, opened fire on the partygoers. A fourth gunman, reportedly a teenager, already present at the party, joined in the onslaught and pointed out the target.
The attack was primarily directed at a suspected cartel member, Leobardo Vega Arellano, known as “el Wacho,” a known gang leader and drug dealer who had five arrest warrants for the crimes of homicide and femicide, among other charges. Despite attempts to escape, he was among those killed.
Two people under 18 years of age were killed by the gunfire. Five children were among the wounded, with four people in critical condition in local hospitals. Thirteen others were treated and released. Two more people reportedly died in the hospital after the initial media reports.
The perpetrators managed to flee the scene, leaving behind a trail of devastation and raising concerns about the ongoing drug war in the region.
On Twitter, on December 30, the governor of Sonora, Alfonso Durazo, wrote: “I inform you that we managed to arrest four people who are related to the violent events that occurred yesterday in the municipality of Cajeme, as well as the car that was used to carry out the crime, assault rifles and drugs, which were in his possession at the time of arrest.”
Ciudad Obregon, located in the northwest of Mexico, is a battleground for control over drug trafficking routes to the United States. The incident is another example of the area’s volatility, dominated by disputes between rival criminal factions like the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Chapos Cartel.
The Attorney General’s Office has indicated that the shooting was a targeted strike by a rival group against “El Wacho,” reflective of the intense territorial battles in the drug trade.
Sonora state, as highlighted by U.S. travel advisories, is a hotbed of crime and kidnapping, integral to international drug and human trafficking networks. The violence in this region poses significant risks, not just to locals but also to travelers and U.S. government employees, who face strict travel restrictions due to safety concerns.
