On Aug. 22 the decapitated bodies of four men were hung by their feet from a bridge in Cuernavaca, Mexico early Sunday morning, according to the Associated Press. The recent killings are believed to be the result of a rivalry that has developed within the Beltran Leyva Cartel.

According to Reuters, the Cartel split into two rival factions in December when its leader, Arturo Beltran Leyva, was killed in a gun battle with Mexican security forces. Hector Beltran Leyva, the brother of the deceased leader of the cartel, leads one of the factions, while American-born Kingpin Edgar Valdes Villarreal leads the other.

The message left with the bodies indicated that the Hector Leyva faction initiated the killings. According to the Cuernavaca Police, the message stated, “this is what will happen to all those who support the traitor Edgar Valdez Villareal.”

The now deceased men had been kidnapped several days previously, with the abduction reported to the police.
Cuernavaca, Mexico, has been the site of the most recent outbreak of violence in the escalation of hostilities between the drug cartels and the Mexican government’s forces.

Northern and Western areas of Mexico remain partially paralyzed by violence, with the regional economy being greatly affected by the ongoing cartel violence. According to a press statement, in early August, Governor Eugenio Hernandez of the state of Tamaulipas, urged President Felipe Calderon to transfer high risk prisoners out of the region, indicating concerns that even the prison system may not be sufficiently secure.

Most of the escalation in cartel violence has occurred since President Fillippe Calderon took office in December of 2006, and deployed government police and military forces to combat cartel strongholds in Sinola, Tijuana, Guerrero, and Tamulpias. Since the crackdown began, over 28,000 people have been killed in related incidents, the U.S. State Department reported.

“Cartel-driven violence has moved southward to Mexico’s business capital, Monterrey, forming a ‘northeastern triangle’ of violence among Matamoros, Nuevo Laredo and Monterrey,” said U.S. Ambassador Carlos Pascual.

Assistant Professor of History and Latin American Studies, Alvis Dunn, elaborated on the possible further consequences of the increasing violence in Northern Mexico.

“The threat is that the border areas in particular might become lawless zones, or worse still, zones controlled by warlords,” said Dunn. “A flow of refugees, not seeking work but seeking sanctuary from violence, might become the norm.”

Dunn continued to indicate the other consequences of the increasing violence in the border regions, suggesting that they may expand beyond potential humanitarian crisis to jeopardize the general stability of Mexico and Central America.
With the violence across Northern Mexico steadily rising, it remains to be seen what can, and will be done about the crisis.