Drug trafficking
Mother of four among the 20 victim's of Sunday's cartel massacre
"She found her dead in the middle of the venue and Arlette was just a meter away, fighting for her life,” said Alex Silva, the victims’ brother
March 31, 2022 2:34pm
Updated: March 31, 2022 5:59pm
Two Hispanic-American residents of Chicago were among the 20 victims of Sunday’s bloody attack at a cockfighting venue in the Mexican state of Michoacán.
Melissa Silva, a 36-year-old mother of four, died at the scene after being fatally shot during the gunmen’s raid. Meanwhile, her 16-year-old sister, Arlette, is in critical condition at a local hospital after being shot once in the lungs and twice in the legs, La Opinion reported.
La conmovedora historia de 2 hermanas que vivieron en carne propia el ataque armado en Michoacán donde murieron 20 personas, una de ellas era mamá de 4 y vivía en Chicago https://t.co/N80CrxI9al
— Univision Chicago (@unichicago) March 30, 2022
The two women were on vacation with their family in Mexico when the shooting occurred.
On the night of March 28, 2022, Melissa and Arlette's mother heard the shots from the hotel where they were staying. She immediately ran outside and reportedly broke down in tears upon seeing Melissa’s dead body.
"She found her dead in the middle of the venue and Arlette was just a meter away, fighting for her life,” said Alex Silva, the victims’ brother.
The U.S. government maintains an alert for its citizens, which indicates that they should avoid traveling to Mexican states such as Baja California and Tamaulipas due to cartel activity in the area. Violence has also intensified in states such as Michoacán, Zacatecas, Colima and Nayarit.
The Attorney General of Michoacan has claimed that the shooters planned the attack and arrived at the venue in a truck stolen from a snack-food company, the New York Post reported.
"The snack company truck arrived and several armed people wearing camouflaged clothing got out. At the same moment, a bus that was outside the building was used as a blockade," the AG’s office said in a statement.
The incident took place shortly after 10:30 p.m. on Sunday, when a suspected team of cartel members dressed in military uniforms stormed the premises. Prosecutors added that organized crime groups clashed.
"There are indications that the attack involved a confrontation between criminal groups," the Mexican Public Security Secretariat confirmed.
Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador blamed criminal gangs in the area for the killings and promised a full investigation into the events.
