Authorities in the Mexican state of Chihuahua said at least 19 men died and another was injured in a confrontation between two criminal groups vying for dominance in a mountainous area near neighboring Sonora.
The clash took place about 60 miles from where nine women and children — all dual U.S.-Mexican citizens — were massacredoutside the community of La Mora in rural Sonora last November, drawing international attention to cartel conflicts in the region.
Military personnel recovered 18 weapons, two bullet-pocked vehicles and two hand grenades at the scene Friday.
It’s part of an ongoing crisis of violent crime in Mexico, with nearly 34,600 murders last year. And preliminary data suggest a record-setting number of murders in the country last month.
