Villa Ahumada
Encyclopedia
Villa Ahumada is a town and seat of the municipality of Ahumada
in the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico
with 8,753 inhabitants (2005). It is located along Highway 45
, about 130 km south of Ciudad Juárez
and 247 km north of the city of Chihuahua
.
The city has several roadside restaurants and burrito
stands and is known for its good cheese.
Villa Ahumada entered the international news in 2008 when it was terrorized for several hours by an out of town gang. This was presumably part of the wave of drug-smuggling related violence in Mexico that resulted in about 4,000 deaths between early 2007 and mid 2008. At the night of May 19, 2008, dozens of men drove through town, firing assault rifles and killing the police chief, two police officers and three civilians, and abducting at least 10 people. The remaining policemen then left, and the state and federal governments sent troops to restore order. Officials did not offer a theory about the perpetrators. According to local rumors, the town's drug dealers had been aligned with police and were linked to the Juárez Cartel
. After a local drug boss was killed and another arrested, a rival gang was possibly trying to take over the drug trade along the route from Ciudad Juárez to the state of Sinaloa
. A similar attack occurred on February 10, 2009, in which 9 people were apparently kidnapped and driven to a ranch near El Vergel. The Mexican military pursued the assailants and 21 people were killed in the shootout.
Ahumada (municipality)
Ahumada is a one of the 67 municipalities of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Villa Ahumada. The municipality covers an area of 17,131.5 km².As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 11,727.-Towns and villages:...
in the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
with 8,753 inhabitants (2005). It is located along Highway 45
Mexican Federal Highway 45
Mexican Federal Highway 45 connects Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, to Panales, Hidalgo.It is located in the north of Mexico connecting Portezuelo in Hidalgo to Ciudad Juárez in Chihuahua...
, about 130 km south of Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
and 247 km north of the city of Chihuahua
Chihuahua, Chihuahua
The city of Chihuahua is the state capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It has a population of about 825,327. The predominant activity is industry, including domestic heavy, light industries, consumer goods production, and to a smaller extent maquiladoras.-History:It has been said that the...
.
The city has several roadside restaurants and burrito
Burrito
A burrito , or taco de harina, is a type of Mexican food. It consists of a wheat flour tortilla wrapped or folded around a filling. The flour tortilla is usually lightly grilled or steamed, to soften it and make it more pliable. In Mexico, refried beans or meat are sometimes the only fillings...
stands and is known for its good cheese.
Villa Ahumada entered the international news in 2008 when it was terrorized for several hours by an out of town gang. This was presumably part of the wave of drug-smuggling related violence in Mexico that resulted in about 4,000 deaths between early 2007 and mid 2008. At the night of May 19, 2008, dozens of men drove through town, firing assault rifles and killing the police chief, two police officers and three civilians, and abducting at least 10 people. The remaining policemen then left, and the state and federal governments sent troops to restore order. Officials did not offer a theory about the perpetrators. According to local rumors, the town's drug dealers had been aligned with police and were linked to the Juárez Cartel
Juárez Cartel
The Juárez Cartel , also known as the Vicente Carrillo Fuentes Organization, is a Mexican drug cartel based in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, across the border from El Paso, Texas...
. After a local drug boss was killed and another arrested, a rival gang was possibly trying to take over the drug trade along the route from Ciudad Juárez to the state of Sinaloa
Sinaloa
Sinaloa officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 18 municipalities and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales....
. A similar attack occurred on February 10, 2009, in which 9 people were apparently kidnapped and driven to a ranch near El Vergel. The Mexican military pursued the assailants and 21 people were killed in the shootout.