Beer cans, candles and blood-stained clothing littered a soccer field in central Mexico on Monday, a day after gunmen killed at least 11 people and injured 12 others during a gathering after an amateur match, the Associated Press reported.
The killings took place in the municipality of Salamanca in the state of Guanajuato, where officials said they were investigating what happened.
Guanajuato Gov. Libia Dennise García said Monday that “security in the region has been reinforced” with state and federal forces. She added in a social media post that the state “will act decisively to protect families, restore peace to the community and bring those responsible to justice.”
The region has been wracked by intense violence linked to a territorial dispute between the local Santa Rosa de Lima cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, CJNG. A federal official familiar with the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity because it is an ongoing investigation, told AP that initial evidence suggests some of the deceased were linked to a private security company associated with CJNG.
The official also said messages attributed to the Santa Rosa cartel were found mentioning their dispute with Jalisco before the attack.
The incident comes a few months before the start of the FIFA World Cup, which Mexico is co-hosting with Canada and the United States. Mexican Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez said the government is promoting local soccer and its fan base as the “powerful tool for integral development” and is seeking to highlight its security progress ahead of the tournament.
Salamanca Mayor César Prieto, who AP said was the only official to provide early details on Sunday, described the massacre as part of a “wave of violence” and appealed to Sheinbaum for help. Sheinbaum did not address the Salamanca events during her Monday news briefing, deferring to the local prosecutor’s office, which has only confirmed an ongoing investigation.
Nancy Angélica Canjura, a researcher for Causa Común, said the attack has a large social impact because it reinforces the idea that “you can’t go out by choice … you shouldn’t stay in public spaces.” She also said that during 2025, Guanajuato saw attacks at funerals, parties and other public activities, which she said “dilutes the social fabric, limits life in the community” and allows criminal groups to have more power.
Security analyst David Saucedo, who was based in Guanajuato for many years, suggested the attack was likely by the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel. He said the group may have wanted to provoke a federal military surge into territory currently held by its rivals, the Jalisco Cartel, adding that such a move “undermines the image of security Mexico hopes to project on the eve of the World Cup.”