Executions in Northern Sonora State A series of executions in northern Sonora state near the U.S. border highlights continuing organized crime-related conflicts in the region. On Jan. 26, a male body was hung from a bridge in Agua Prieta. On Jan. 28, authorities discovered three bodies and two rifles in a vehicle in Cananea. The same day in Nogales, unidentified gunmen killed three individuals in two separate instances. The quick succession of these incidents follows the pattern of increased violence that began in northern Sonora state in mid-2012, though violence is still lower in Sonora than in other parts of Mexico . 130129 Hot Spots This Week in Mexico lite The Sinaloa Federation and independent drug traffickers share Agua Prieta, Cananea and Nogales.