Nine American citizens killed in Mexican drug Cartel ambush, with more wounded.

Rhonita Miller and her twin girls Titus and Tiana. NBC News/family handout. 

Nine American citizens, all women and children, were killed in an ambush on a highway in Sonora Mexico, presumably by drug cartels. NBC News. Six of the victims were children with some being infants. The victims were traveling in a convoy of three cars when they came under attack. All three cars were shot at and one was destroyed and lit on fire. At least 4 other children were wounded in the attack, including another infant. It is unclear who was responsible for the attack but the area is a battleground for both the Sonora Cartel and the Juarez Cartel. 

BBC has more background on the American citizens. They are from a group of Mormons that left Utah and settled in Mexico after the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cracked down on polygamy. They founded a site called Colonia LaBaron and the site now includes several Catholics as well. The group has gotten in trouble with the cartels in the past as they have been very critical of the violence they cause. It is unclear if the attack was specifically targeting the Mormons or if it was a case of mistaken identity. 

My Comment:

Absolutely awful story out of Mexico. The Mexican Drug War has been one of the most violent and disturbing conflicts in recent years but even by the standards set by the cartel this attack was a brutal one. Killing women and children, and even 8 month old babies, is beyond even what the cartels even usually do. 

Which makes me wonder if this was a targeted attack or not. There is some evidence that it might have been. These Mormons have been brave or foolish enough to stand up to the cartels several times. That has resulted in kidnappings and even murders but nothing on this scale. The cartels do not tolerate anyone who speaks out against them as the many dead journalists and other activists can attest to. 

That being said, there's a case to be made for mistaken identity. These people were traveling in a convoy in a war zone. The Sonora Cartel an the Jaurez Cartels are both active in the area and are actively trying to control the territory. It's very easy to imagine a group of sicarios out to assassinate some group of rival cartel members and lighting up these innocent people by mistake. 

Another reason to think this was a mistake is the obvious fact that killing a bunch of American women and children is not going to play well for the cartels. This kind of thing will likely result in some kind of action against the cartels, not only from the Mexican government but from the US government as well. 

Though these Mormons are outcasts they still have powerful friends. Mormons are very numerous in government and Senator Mitt Romney has family in these Mexican Mormon enclaves. Though Romney himself is somewhat of a persona non-grata in the GOP, he still has influence, and there is going to be a lot of pressure to do something in response to this attack.

Ann and I are heartbroken for the victims of the horrific attacks in Mexico. Our prayers are with their families who have suffered such an unspeakable tragedy. The U.S. must work with Mexican officials to hold accountable those responsible for this senseless violence.

— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) November 5, 2019

Of course the innocence of these victims is going to cause a lot of pressure as well. Almost no one is so cold hearted that they could brush off the deaths of mere babies in such a horrific fashion. This attack is going to cause a visceral response and it won't go unanswered. You can't kill American woman and children like this without somebody paying a very high price. 

What can be done? At the very least I think there is going to be a lot of pressure on Mexico's leftist president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (Almo). His strategy to confront the Cartels is mostly to leave them alone in hopes that the violence fades away. This attack, along with the battle of Culiacan where the Sonora Cartel roundly defeated Mexican military forces after arresting two of El- Chapo's sons, shows that the strategy has completely failed. 

I have long said that the Mexican Drug War has long been ignored by not only the media but both politcal parties in America as well. The absolutely massive scale of the violence and horrible atrocities go unoticed and uncovered by America. This is the event that probably changes that. I think, at the very least, the days of ignoring the Western Hemisphere's bloodies war are over. 

But will anything be done? I am not sure. There is little appetite for war in the United States but only a military operation would be likely to bring the attackers in this case to justice. I personally wouldn't mind sending in Delta Force or the Navy Seals in to kill the leaders of the Cartels that did this attack but who knows if that's even an option. But I also don't think that the Mexican government is willing or able bring these killers to justice. Something will have to give here... 

President Trump, for his part, is more than ready to go. He tweeted about this attack and said that the Cartels need to be destroyed and that you need an army to do so. He has an open offer to help defeat these cartels and it's going to be up to Obrador if he's going to accept or not...

This is the time for Mexico, with the help of the United States, to wage WAR on the drug cartels and wipe them off the face of the earth. We merely await a call from your great new president!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2019