Deadly attack on Mormons on US-Mexico border

Relatives of those killed in the attack on a Mormon family on the Mexican side of the US-Mexico border have told CNN the family has seen cartel violence before.

Kendra Lee Miller, whose sister in law Rhonita Maria Miller was killed in the attack, said, “Cartels have taken too many of our family members” and those killed yesterday were “not the first.”

Miller told CNN her family has only recently been threatened by local cartels over where her family can travel. She added her family did not know about any cartel turf battles.

Another relative, Kenneth Miller, reiterated what Kendra Miller said about the attack and added there was “no crossfire” or “war going on” in which the family were involved. Kenneth Miller does believe a case of mistaken identity could have possibly taken place.

The nine killed Monday were connected to the LeBaron family, which has repeatedly been victim to drug cartel violence in Mexico.

In 2009, Eric LeBaron was kidnapped and returned unharmed a week later, as CNN reported at the time. Afterward, his older brother Benjamin became a nationally known anti-crime activist who pushed the local community to take a stand against violence.

Two months later, Benjamin LeBaron, 32, and his brother-in-law Luis Widmar were beaten and shot to death after armed men stormed their home in Chihuahua. Authorities later arrested the alleged ringleader of a drug trafficking family that ran a smuggling operation on Mexico's border with Texas.

“We have never been involved and we have tried to avoid, ‘living by the sword, die by the sword,'" Kenneth Miller told CNN regarding Monday’s attack. “We have never been involved in the trade, the drug trade, this that and all, we have tried to avoid it and live a private quiet life. And boy, I'll tell you what, boy have we been shocked. We are still in a state of shock.”

The family is now calling on the Mexican government to take a stand and assist in protecting dual citizens in Mexico who need support.

“We need support here as American citizens,” Kendra Miller told CNN. “My community here is a couple hundred strong of dual citizens. We love both our countries, but we spend half our time in the US, or live in the US and visit Mexico. At this point, I don't know what can be done — I just know that something my brother states is- we won't let this go quietly.”

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