SUMMARY

The fighting between the Garcia clan and the Pena Roja clan has been traced back to a brawl at a wedding in May 1992. What originally started as a fistfight between two young men escalated as guns were drawn. As a result of this fight a member of the Garcia clan was shot in the stomach, but recovered, while a member of Pena Roja was shot in the foot and crippled. In the months that followed a feud between the families began to escalate.

In February 1993 the feud escalated as three men of the Pena Roja clan were gunned down. For the Pena Rojas there was no doubt that Garcia clan were behind the action. Short after this event, 24 Pena Roja men were killed as their ride from the funeral, of the three earlier deceased Pena Rojas, was ambushed.

It is estimated that as many as 50 men were waiting, just outside the town of Huauhtla, for the pickup truck that carried the 24 Pena Rojas. The assaulters were heavily armed and more than 500 shells from fired bullets were scattered on the scene. Two survivors were able to escape and notify the local authorities. Though no guns were found on the victims there have been speculations that the pickup, carrying only men, was armed and heading for a revenge attack as they were intercepted on the way.

The non-state conflict between the Garcia clan and the Pena Roja clan is first included in UCDP data in 1993. In February of that year a number of attacks resulted in more than 25 battle-related deaths.