Mexican cities like Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez have often seen gang-related violence. This week, at least 11 people have been killed after a prison riot between rival gangs Chapos and Mexicles.  The violence soon spread to the streets, resulting in at least 10 torched vehicles and a heavy police response.

Targeting civilians is not unheard of. In June of last year, a rival faction of the Gulf cartel entered the border city of Reynosa and killed 14 people the governor identified as “innocent citizens.” The military responded and killed four suspected gunmen, news agency Associated Press reported.

Also Read: Tijuana violence: How the riot unfolded near the US-Mexico border

Ciudad Juarez has long had a reputation for violence. Gangs like those involved in the riot often serve as proxies and street-level enforcers for Mexico’s powerful drug cartels who aggressively exert control over the border crossing routes they need to smuggle their product to the United States.

While still high, murders in recent years were well below what they were more than a decade ago — about 1,400 last year compared to more than 3,600 in 2010 — according to data from Molly Molloy, a retired border specialist at the New Mexico State University Library, who has tracked the city’s homicide data for many years and posts regular updates to her Frontera List.

According to the Border Report, at least 882 homicides have been reported in Tijuana as of June 2022. The website also reported that the city averages seven murders per day.

Also Read: Tijuana violence: All about rival gangs Los Chapos, Los Mexicles

The recent violence that erupted in Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez has resulted in the death of at least 11 people. Out of these, two were inmates of the state prison while nine were civilians. At least 20 people were also injured, authorities said.

The US Consulate in Tijuana has also advised all American citizens to take shelter.