Mexican cartel urges that innocents be kept out of drug war in video message

Avideoclaiming to be from Mexico's powerful Jalisco New GenerationCartel(CJNG) circulated on social media on Friday, urging that fighting bekeptbetween criminal groups and avoidinnocents.

Two Jesuit priests and a tour guide were killed last month in a suspected run-in with a wanteddrugtrafficker in the border state of Chihuahua, a crime that shockedMexicans and drew condemnation from Pope Francis.

More than 30,000 people were murdered in Mexico last year, with much of the violence linked to fighting between rivaldrugtrafficking organizations.

"I ask you that thewarremains between us, that we don't involve anyone who shouldn't be involved", said a man speaking Spanish in thevideo, which also showed masked, heavily armed people dressed in combat camouflage.

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"We are people who are for the people", the man said.

In the name of thecartel's shadowy leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias "El Mencho", he urged rivalcartels across the country to spare doctors, medical personnel, and teachers.

A source familiar withcartelbeliefs said it appeared to be real but could not say whether it was the voice of Oseguera.

A press official at the attorney general's office said authorities were analyzing the footage.

Oseguera, a former policeman, has masterminded the CJNG's emergence as a criminal empire spanning five continents and a rival to the SinaloaCartelof captured kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo"Guzman, now in a USprison.

US authorities placed a 10 million dollars bounty on Oseguera's head in 2018.

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