Latest news Almost 20 dead in gang war in southern Mexico

19 people have been killed in suspected fighting between rival drug cartels in southern Mexico. The victims were discovered in and next to a truck near the village of La Concordia in the state of Chiapas, the security ministry announced on Tuesday.

The bodies showed gunshot wounds. The first reports of the crime were made at the end of last week. A video showed the dead bodies in the back of the truck. They were wearing tactical clothing and had rifles with them.

Investigators assume that there was a clash between the Sinaloa cartel and the Chiapas and Guatemala cartels. The two crime syndicates are fighting for control of the drugs, human trafficking and arms trade in the region. The government recently deployed 1,200 additional soldiers and police officers to the border area with Guatemala.

SDA