EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – On July 2, a drug cartel hung warnings from street signs informing residents of a picturesque mountain enclave in the border state of Chihuahua that the town was theirs. The criminals said they had a list of people they planned to kill and established a 10 p.m. curfew for everyone.
But on Monday, after hundreds of Mexican and foreign visitors enjoyed three days of long-distance races featuring international and Indigenous runners competing in the Ultra Marathon de los Cañones 2024, state authorities were claiming victory over the cartels.
“We are very happy. I don’t know who won the race, but I know it was a satisfactory result in terms of public safety,” said Gilberto Loya, state public safety director. “What we want with this (result) is to position Chihuahua as a state where people can come vacation or attend a sporting event knowing nothing will happen to them.”
Loya said a state police task force arrested two men seen showing off weapons during a vehicle caravan by cartel members responsible for hanging the warnings in the town of Guachochi. They also seized armored vehicles, guns, and ammo and were questioning a man shot by a high-caliber weapon—all this before the start of the races.
Speaking at a Monday news conference broadcast on social media, Loya admitted many feared violence would break out in a town where the Sinaloa cartel has been blamed for recent shootings and vehicle burnings.
But he said 100 police officers, including a special weapons and tactics team, arrived to guarantee the ultramarathon’s safety. Another 200 Mexican army and National Guard troops patrolled the outlying areas. A helicopter and several drones provided air surveillance during the ultramarathon.
The ultramarathon featured 100-kilometer, 63-kilometer, and several shorter-distance races over dirt roads in a mountain setting.
“It is very satisfying; it is a matter of pride for those who participate, and it makes them fall in love when they see the canyon, when they go down, see the bottom, and then spend the effort to get back up,” said state tourism manager Alejandra Villalobos.
Plans call for the event to continue taking place next year.
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