September in Tabasco ended with a total of 71 homicides, making it the third most violent month of 2024 so far. This month was surpassed only by May, with 74 homicides, and April, with 83.
Additionally, violent deaths have increased in recent days. The two most violent days in September were the 5th and the 28th, each with 6 homicides. In the last three days of the month, 10 people were killed in various incidents reported in the municipalities of Teapa, Nacajuca, Comalcalco, and Paraíso.
With this, the number of homicides in Tabasco rose to at least 520 from January 1 to September 30, 2024. According to data from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (SESNSP) and the National Security Commission (CNS), there were 449 victims of this crime between January and August.
From September 1 to 20 alone, 49 people were murdered under different circumstances, including three on the violent day of Wednesday, the 18th.
On September 1, there were two homicides; three on September 2; one on September 3; four on September 4; and six on September 5, making it the day with the highest number, placing Tabasco among the states with the most murders on that date.
On September 6, there were three more homicides, and on September 7, five were reported; one on September 8; three on September 9; two on September 10; three on September 11; and one on September 12. No victims were reported on September 13 and 15, although five were killed on September 14.
On September 16, two victims were reported; two more on September 17; three on September 18; none on September 19; and three on September 20. According to the organization’s figures, there were 498 homicides from January to September 20.
On Saturday, September 21, with four more cases, the number increased to 524.
This past weekend, there were nine violent deaths. On Saturday morning, three people were found dead on the road from Teapa to Pichucalco, near the phytosanitary inspection station.
Residents of the Oriente ranch in the municipality of Comalcalco found a young man without vital signs in a vacant lot on Saturday afternoon, in the area known as “Tripa Ciega,” with several injuries.
Earlier, in the Casa Blanca neighborhood, an armed attack occurred in the early hours of the same day, leaving one person dead and another seriously injured, ambushed by individuals on a motorcycle.
On Sunday, the 29th, the body of a man with gunshot wounds near the head was found in the first section of the Saloya ranch.
In the afternoon, a young man identified as Venancio “N,” 22, was shot dead in the second section of the Poza Redonda ranch in the municipality of Cárdenas. Preliminary reports indicate that armed individuals shot him several times, hitting him in the head, causing his instant death.
That same afternoon, farmers alerted authorities to the presence of decomposed human remains along the Comalcalco-Paraíso road, near the area known as La Raya. It was the dismembered body of a woman.
Brutal Homicides
It is worth noting that on Thursday, September 26, a young motorcyclist was reported killed in the Bosques de Saloya neighborhood in the municipality of Nacajuca.
While on Wednesday the 25th, reports emerged of a person killed in the Cuxcuxapa ranch in the municipality of Comalcalco, near the border with Jalpa de Méndez.
Also on the 25th of this month, neighbors of the Barranca and Amate second section ranch in the municipality of Centro found a man dead in the middle of the road in that village.
Last week, a 22-year-old was also shot dead in the Poza Redonda ranch, second section, in the municipality of Cárdenas.
On Monday, September 30, the death of a man was reported in an incident that occurred in the Aquiles Serdán ranch, second section, near the entrance to Puntarena, in the municipality of Jalapa, where a vehicle was reported off the road. According to preliminary information, the victim was attacked by armed individuals who followed him and shot him multiple times.
Witnesses in the area indicated that the attackers managed to force him off the road he was driving on, then set the vehicle on fire, trapping the victim inside.
Other violent incidents occurred last week in Casa Blanca, resulting in one man dead and another injured in an armed attack in the Casa Blanca neighborhood of the municipality of Centro.
Additionally, the head of a man was found inside a black bag on the night of Wednesday, September 25, on the Cárdenas-Villahermosa highway.
Black Wednesday
One of the peak points of insecurity in September occurred on the 18th, with a series of violent acts that led to the closure of some businesses, tire punctures on city roads, vehicle fires, and misinformation spread through social media, causing panic among Villahermosa residents.
At noon, the first report was recorded about a robbery of customers withdrawing money from ATMs in the mentioned plaza, leading to an intense police mobilization in the area, patrolling the streets of the Lagunas I, II, and III neighborhoods, as well as the surrounding area.
Vandalism was also reported on Villahermosa’s roads, with tire punctures appearing on the road to Cárdenas, taking several vehicles out of circulation and causing heavy traffic on the city’s Periférico due to its proximity to the area. The same happened on the Villahermosa-Frontera highway, where several motorists were stranded.
In Naranjo Street, in the Gaviotas Sur neighborhood, residents recorded a vehicle fire that caused moments of panic due to the uncertainty of the flames spreading; similarly, on 27 de Febrero Street, near the Plaza de Toros, a compact car was set on fire.
Due to these situations, various businesses closed their shutters, including Monterrey and Sánchez grocery stores, as well as several near the Pino Suárez market, such as those on Primavera Street, to prevent potential robberies.
The wave of violence caused uncertainty in the commerce and services sector, as well as school absenteeism.
The Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) acknowledged the criminal acts that occurred that day, highlighting that there were seven simultaneous attacks. It confirmed:
– Robbery of account holders
– Vehicle thefts
– 2 vehicles set on fire
– 7 store robberies
– 1 motorcycle theft
– 12 tire punctures
– 3 threatening messages: 2 posters and 1 banner
Regarding the locations where these criminal acts took place, the agency reported that they occurred in the Atasta, Tamulté de las Barrancas, Carrizal, Gaviotas Norte, Indeco, Brisas del Carrizal neighborhood, and Villa Ocuiltzapotlán.
Source: El Heraldo de Tabasco
