Hundreds of Mexican soldiers arrive in Juarez amid rise in violence

JUAREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) -- Last Thursday, Mexico's Defense Secretary announced that around 2,100 soldiers would arrive at the border to enforce patrolling and coordination with state and local authorities to reduce violence rates.

These 2,100 soldiers are not arriving in one single group at the border, but in smaller squadrons.

260 soldiers arrived on Sunday, 360 on Monday, and 500 on Tuesday.

"We are in a period in which criminal groups want to empower themselves, and that is what the Secretary of National Defense sees, not letting them become empowered," said General Saúl Luna Jaimes the head of the army's 5th Military Zone in Chihuahua.

Gen. Luna also said these groups of organized crime have protection networks that come from all three levels of government without blaming anyone.

According to our news partners Canal 44, Juárez has seen around 51 homicides in February, making it a total of 177 this year.