Mexico sends troops to Zacatecas after cartel violence kills 10, including ex-mayor
A wave of weekend violence across three municipalities in the Mexican state of Zacatecas left ten people dead, including a former mayor, according to authorities. Mexico's federal government has surged additional troops into the state, a longtime flashpoint in the country's cartel conflicts. Officials have not identified the armed groups responsible.

A weekend surge of violence across three municipalities in Zacatecas left ten people dead, including a former mayor, Mexican authorities said, prompting the federal government to send additional troops into the state.
Zacatecas has for years been one of the flashpoints in Mexico's cartel conflicts, with rival groups competing for control of drug and fuel trafficking routes running through the state. Local officials said the latest violence struck several communities within a short span of time, though they have not yet identified which armed groups were responsible.
The deployment adds to a broader federal security push in central Mexico this year. Human rights groups and local officials have repeatedly called for a longer-term strategy beyond troop surges to address the root causes of cartel violence in the region.
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