Massacre in Tijuana Caps Bloody Weekend in México

MEX01. TIJUANA (MÉXICO), 25/10/2010.- Policías estatales de la ciudad de Tijuana, en el norte de México, investigan en las instalaciones del centro de rehabilitación para adictos donde trece internos fueron asesinados anoche por un grupo de sicarios fuertemente armado que accedió al edificio y los acribilló. EFE

Thirteen people were reportedly killed in a drug rehabilitation center in Tijuana, capping a bloody weekend in México in which nearly 30 people were assassinated.

The bloodshed in Tijuana is based on accounts from a witness, who said the attack at “El Camino” occurred late Sunday night. He reportedly said the victims – most of whom were young – were forced to lie on the floor before they were riddled with bullets.

Officials have not confirmed the death toll at the center, which usually has about 45 clients at any given time. Police, however, have said that at least 10 people were killed.

"This is a taste of Juárez," someone said over a police radio frequency after the shootings, referring to Cuidad Juárez.

The massacre in Tijuana, generally praised as a model for anti-gang efforts, comes just a few weeks after Mexican President Felipe Calderón publicly noted progress in his government's struggle against drug cartels in the city.

The bloodshed follows a massacre Friday night in Cuidad Juárez. Fourteen people, many high school students, were executed and another 19 were wounded in a house party.

The motives for the killings were not immediately clear.

Cuidad Juárez, which has been at the center of a deadly turf between drug cartels, has seen its death toll skyrocket to more than 2,000 this year.

In other parts of the country, other people, including innocent bystanders, fell victim to the violence. Nationwide, more than 28,000 people have been killed in drug gang violence since December 2006.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.