Reports: 20 killed in Mexican drug-related violence

Reports claim that at least 20 people were killed including due to violence between drug gangs and the Mexican army in the northern border state of Chihuahua.

The deaths occurred this morning when hitmen executed six people in the town of Villa Ahumada. A subsequent shootout and car chase between the suspected sicarios and Mexican troops led to fourteen more deaths. One soldier was reported among the dead along with all of the gang members.

The seemingly out-of-control violence in Mexico has led to worries of a spillover into the U.S. Doubts have emerged over whether the three-year, $1.4 billion Merida Initiative will be sufficient to counter Mexico’s violence and corruption. Some are even planning for the worse to occur:

Texas officials are working on a plan to respond to a potential collapse of the Mexican government and the specter of thousands fleeing north in fear for their lives after recent reports indicated the country could be on the verge of chaos.

"You hope for the best, plan for the worst," Katherine Cesinger, spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry, said last week. "At this point, we've got a contingency plan that's in development"…

Destabilization in Mexico might be only a remote possibility, but lawmakers said preparing for any potential disaster is prudent.

"It seems very far-fetched that something like this could occur," (State Sen. John Carona) said. "At the same time, I think it would be naive to believe it's impossible."

Image- AP ("A soldier stands atop an armored vehicle outside a police station in Cancun, Mexico, Monday, Feb. 9, 2009.")
Online Sources- El Universal, Milenio, Reuters, El Paso Times, AP