Mexico City (CNN) In just the first few months of 2019, the Mexican coastal state of Veracruz has been plagued by bloodshed -- on the streets, in drive-by shootings, and even with a massacre at a family gathering.

Mexico's National Public Safety Secretariat registered 682 homicides in Veracruz from January through March, along with 122 kidnappings.

Veracruz, with its 400 miles of coastline on the Gulf of Mexico, is one of the country's most important areas for importing and exporting goods but the state is beset by tension and a bloody war between cartels.

Last week in the city of Minatitlán, in the southern part of the state, 13 people were killed at a family party, according to the Public Security Department of Veracruz. Local authorities said they believe the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG by its Spanish acronym) was involved in the massacre, in an act of revenge.

Among the dead was a 1-year-old boy who was shot multiple times, according to the state-run news agency Notimex, citing local witnesses. The boy's father also died, and his mother was wounded -- she was hospitalized with three other victims.

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