Two Mexican cities along the border with the United States are on high alert after a week of cartel violence across the country.
The border cities of Tijuana and Mexicali along with Rosarito and Ensenada were hit by gang violence that included vehicles being set ablaze and road blockades.
It was the third time this week that Mexican cities have experienced widespread arson and shootings by drug cartels.
The cartels appear to be targeting stores, vehicles and bystanders in response to disputes or attempts to capture members by Mexican authorities.
Baja California state officials, where the four cities are located, said 24 vehicles had been hijacked and burned at different points throughout the state
Tijuana mayor Montserrat Caballero blamed it on disputes between rival cartels and asked them to stop the violence.
"Today we are saying to the organised crime groups that are committing these crimes, that Tijuana is going to remain open and take care of its citizens," Ms Caballero said.
"We also ask them to settle their debts with those who didn't pay what they owe — not with families and hard-working citizens."
On Saturday, few people ventured out on the streets in Tijuana and many of the bus and passenger van services stopped running.
The federal public safety department said one person was wounded in the violence and that federal, state and local forces had detained 17 suspects, including seven in Tijuana, and four each in Rosarito and Mexicali.
It said some of the suspects had been identified as members of the Jalisco cartel, the group blamed for burning stores and shooting people earlier this week in the states of Jalisco and Guanajuato.
On Tuesday, drug cartel gunmen burned vehicles and businesses in the western states of Jalisco and Guanajuato in response to an attempt to arrest a high-ranking cartel leader of the Jalisco cartel.
Oxxo, a national chain of convenience stores owned by Femsa, the country's largest bottling company, said 25 of its stores in Guanajuato — which borders Jalisco, home to the cartel of the same name — were either totally or partially burned on Tuesday.
On Thursday, in Ciudad Juarez, along the border with Texas, alleged cartel members killed nine people including four employees of a radio station after a fight at a local prison left two inmates dead.
Four employees of the MegaRadio station who were broadcasting a live promotional event outside a pizza store in Ciudad Juarez were killed in the shootings.
AP/ABC
