A shooting at a bar in southeastern Mexico left five people dead and seven wounded, authorities said Sunday.
A manhunt has begun for those responsible for Saturday night's shooting in the city of Villahermosa, Tabasco state, according to a statement from the Secretariat of Security and Civil Protection.
“Five people died and seven were injured,” the report said.
“Surveillance cameras are being analyzed, and state and federal authorities have launched coordinated patrols to identify and arrest those responsible,” the statement added.
According to local media, unknown assailants broke into the La Casita Azul bar and opened fire on customers, leaving bloodied bodies strewn on the floor.
Tabasco, home to oil production facilities, has seen an increase in violent crime in recent months. Just last month, seven prisoners were killed in the Tabasco prison riot.
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In November six people died and 10 injured in another armed attack on a bar in Villahermosa.
This incident happened two weeks after the attack on the bar left 10 dead in the city of Querétaro, in a central region that has so far been free of violence linked to organized crime.
That same weekend, six people were killed in a shooting at a bar in suburban Mexico City.
In December eight people died after gunmen drove up to a roadside stand in north-central Mexico and opened fire on customers and bystanders.
More than 450,000 people have died in drug-related violence in Mexico since the government sent in troops to fight human trafficking in 2006, according to official figures.
After the arrival of a new Mexican president, gang violence continues Claudia Sheinbaum took office on October 1.
It ruled out declaring war on the cartels and instead proposed an intelligence-gathering strategy to undermine their operational capabilities.
Sheinbaum also wants to continue his predecessor Andrés Manuel López Obrador's anti-crime policies at its roots with investments in social spending and crime prevention.