Mexican Drug War Claims 17 Lives at Treatment Center

Gunmen executed 17 residents of an addiction treatment center in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico — just the latest bloody attack on recovering addicts in Mexico’s violent drug war.

The Associated Press reported Sept. 3 that gunmen broke into the El Aliviane treatment center, lined up 17 people inside, and shot them to death. Five other people were wounded in the attack.

The BBC reported Sept. 3 that this is not the first time that drug cartels have targeted treatment programs: last year, 8 program residents were slain in a similar attack. Some drug traffickers on the run from rivals have reportedly sought shelter in treatment programs, and warring cartels have accused some recovery agencies of providing cover for their enemies.

Ciudad Juarez sits directly across the border from El Paso, Texas.