Violence flares in TJ with 13 dead in two days

13 killed in less than two days; authorities blame recent spike on battles between drug gangs

By Sandra Dibble
Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 10:43 p.m.

TIJUANA — A dispute between groups of neighborhood drug dealers has led to a sudden spike in high-profile violence this week that has claimed 13 lives in less than two days, authorities said Tuesday.

The killings come less than a week after Mexican President Felipe Calderón praised Tijuana’s improved security situation and the determination of its residents to move forward as he helped inaugurate Tijuana Innovadora, a $5 million, two-week series of conferences aimed at improving the city’s image and drawing investment.

The string of killings that started Sunday evening included shootings and two decapitated bodies that were hung from a bridge spanning a highway leading to Rosarito Beach. Though it was unclear whether all the deaths were linked, authorities said the renewed violence has been sparked by a rivalry between small-scale drug dealers.

“We consider that there is a group trying to gain control of local drug sales,â€