The worsening security situation in neighboring Sonora shows no sign of letting up.

In just the first five months of 2021, there were 822 murder victims in the state, just over half the current annual record of 1584 set just last year.

The total for the first five months is also nearly 40 percent higher than the same period in 2020, according to the most recent federal crime data analyzed by KJZZ. With seven months left to report in the year, Sonora appears to be on a path to cruise past 2020’s grisly toll.

Accounting for population, Sonora was the fourth most violent state in Mexico through May, exceeded only by Colima, Baja California and Zacatecas.