The fire at the facility in San Jose Iturbe, Guanajuato, was replicated across multiple media platforms. Sadly, twelve people were killed, including from complications of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, and at least three more were injured. The recent incident illustrates some of the logic, as well as the chaos and violence, that continues to plague the state. This region has achieved national notoriety for its fueled homicide rate and gruesome turf wars among competing drug cartels.
Unfortunately, Guanajuato—which is the most industrious, agricultural, and financially prosperous state in Mexico—currently has the highest total of homicides of any state in Mexico. The fight for the region has turned it into a battleground. Violent confrontations continue between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel. This cycle of violence has led to a number of tragic attacks. Perhaps the most infamous of those tragedies was the 2020 massacre at a rehab center in Irapuato, in which gunmen murdered 27 people.
Like the arson at San Jose Iturbe, the destruction of this building signals a disturbing trend in Guanajuato. Yet over the last 10 years, the state has consistently been in double-digit annual assaults on rehab centers. These attacks rarely end well. Authorities have not determined what started this most recent fire, which officials said kept the victims from escaping the facility.
The municipal government of San Jose Iturbe extended condolences to the families touched by this tragedy.
“We express our solidarity with the families of those who have been killed while they tried to overcome addictions.” – municipal government
The plight of Guanajuato underlines the risks posed by private drug treatment facilities. These centers have been widely documented for abusive practices, lack any state or federal regulation, and operate under chronic underfunding. Rather, these institutions have transformed into toxic environments. Now drug gangs are hunting suspected rival dealers who take refuge on the premises.
In 2010, our Mexican Chapter experienced a similar attack against a rehabilitation center in Chihuahua, with 19 dead. The sheer number and viciousness of the attacks in Guanajuato have put local leaders and residents on the defensive and the attack’s warning close to home.
Violence is still endemic across Guanajuato. The unfortunate fire serves as a tragic but severe reminder of the issues still affecting those who are fighting addiction, as well as the systemic issues affecting the rehabilitation industry. Insecurity hangs heavy over the whole state. Investigators are not only sticking to the specifics of the fire itself, but focusing on wider safety issues around drug rehab centers.
