Another rehabilitation center attacked in Guanajuato in wave of violence; 19 dead at drug rehabilitation centers

Around 5:30 a.m. this Tuesday, six hooded men broke into the Alfa Fortaleza A.C. rehabilitation center, located in Dolores Hidalgo, where they murdered three men known as “padrinos.” It was the continuation of a wave of attacks on rehabilitation centers that has left 19 people dead so far this year.

The attack generated fear among the families of the young inmates, who decided to take them away after the incident.

Rehabilitation center officials explained that the attackers overpowered five staff members and killed three of them, identified as: Jesús, 24, from Ojuelos, Jalisco; Luis, 33, from León; and Alexis, 50, from Dolores Hidalgo.

A manager who survived the attack confirmed that the center had been operating for three years and that until now they had not faced any threats or incidents of violence.

“We were asleep; sometimes we sleep downstairs. When I heard the gunshots, I thought I was still there,” he recounted fearfully.

The annex had 93 inmates, who began to be removed by their families after the attack, leaving the facility practically empty.
Another manager noted that the center’s work had always focused on the recovery of people with addiction problems.

“What we know is that they were good people, and there are no problems here. We simply support people in overcoming their illness and nothing more. That’s all I can tell you right now,” he stated.

The facility is located at 53 Sur Avenue and consists of three levels on a lot measuring approximately 7 by 15 meters. Motivational talks, meetings, and integration activities were held on the ground floor, and it was also the sleeping area for some of the inmates. The second and third floors, built of red brick, housed the rooms where the 93 inmates slept.

After the attack, members of the National Guard, State Police, Municipal Police, and Mexican Army implemented a security operation and cordoned off the area.