An armed attack at a soccer field in Loma de Flores, Salamanca, Guanajuato, on Sunday, January 25, left 11 people dead and between 6 and 12 injured, according to preliminary reports. Authorities attribute the incident to a clash between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel. Mayor César Prieto requested federal help to address the wave of violence in the region.
On the afternoon of Sunday, January 25, 2026, armed men arrived in vehicles at a soccer field in the Loma de Flores community, Salamanca, Guanajuato, and burst into an ongoing match around 3:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m., according to witnesses. Without a word, they shot at players and spectators, causing panic. Ten people died at the scene and one more in a hospital, raising the toll to 11 fatalities. Injury figures vary: the municipal government reported 12, while the Guanajuato State Attorney General's Office indicated 6 under medical care. Witnesses sheltered in stands and facilities, but several could not escape. The attackers fled, leaving bodies on the field and stands. Local authorities, National Guard, State Public Security Forces, and Red Cross responded to the site, cordoning it off for investigations. Experts collected ballistic evidence, and the Forensic Medical Service transported the bodies for autopsies. The Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection reported that five victims were escorts from a private security company linked to the CJNG. The attack is attributed to the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, involving Moisés Soto Bermúdez and the 'Los Marros' group under Mario Eleazar Lara Belman, alias 'El Gallo', wanted for homicide, kidnapping, and extortion in Irapuato, Salamanca, and Celaya. Two banners from the criminal group were seized, mentioning the dispute with the CJNG. Mayor César Prieto, in a video, condemned the events and called on President Claudia Sheinbaum and Governor Libia Denisse García for support: “Salamanca is a city that has given much to the country with its refinery, we are a pillar of development (...) There are criminal groups trying to subdue the authority, which they will not achieve.” Prieto mentioned recent violence: four murders in Cuarto de Altamira, one in San Vicente de las Flores, and an explosive threat at the Pemex refinery. He announced support for the affected families. The Attorney General's Office launched a comprehensive investigation, coordinating with federal and state entities to identify those responsible and bolster security. Guanajuato leads multihomicides in Mexico, with territorial disputes between cartels in Salamanca.
