Murders In Mexico Hit Record High In 2018 - Report

Umer Jamshaid Published January 22, 2019 | 01:30 AM

MEXICO CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd January, 2019) A record 33,341 people were murdered in Mexico in 2018, making it the bloodiest year in over two decades, a report by the civil protection ministry has showed.

The previous record belonged to 2017 when 31,174 people were killed. The record-keeping reportedly began in 1997.

The small western Mexican state of Colima registered most murders per 100,000 residents, while central Guanajuato became the deadliest state with 3,290 total killings, according to data out Monday.

Bloodshed has gripped Mexico in recent years after turf wars began between local drug cartels for the control of the existing infrastructure, most importantly cocaine transit passes to the United States.