Editorial: La Vanguardia

• Gun violence in some neighborhoods in Catalonia, especially among drug trafficking clans, has increased. There is an average of two shootings per week.
• Last year there were 93 shootings, 30% more than in 2024, and already this year four people have died due to these incidents.
• Although these violent altercations tend to concentrate in the drug trafficking environment, civilians can also be harmed.
• The number of organized criminal groups in Europe has increased, many of them dedicated to drug trafficking.
• The violence exerted by these drug trafficking gangs is frighteningly high and often carried out by teenagers.
• Drug cartels have access to weaponry similar to that used in armed conflicts, which complicates their arrest.
• The preventive work of local security forces should be intensified.

Conclusion: Although the situation is not extreme, attention should be paid to this increase in violence related to guns and drug trafficking before it gets out of control. Moreover, the location of Catalonia between drug-producing countries and European destinations predicts a disturbing future.

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