A conflict between two rival gangs in the southwestern state of Guerrero resulted in the death of 20 people. 2 people were wounded and a local mayor also lost his life. The security of the state said that the gunmen burst into the town hall in the village of San Miguel and opened fire on a meeting that the mayor was holding with other officials.
Among those who were shot dead were the mayor, his father and former mayor, and other local officials. A minor was also killed and pictures that surfaced on social media showed the town hall riddled with bullet holes. Two criminal gangs suspected to be involved in this case had some differences between them. The two criminal groups were La Familia Michoacana and Los Tequileros. Investigators are working on the case and looking to verify a video which shows the Los Tequileros claiming responsibility for the killings. Both gangs are involved in drug smuggling, as well as extortion and kidnapping.
In 2016, the village locals got so fed up with abductions by the Tequileros that they kidnapped the gang leader's mother to leverage the release of other hostages.
The incident was “a clear reflection of the social decomposition the village has inherited. After this incident, 90 policemen were sent to the surrounding area. There were so many victims that a backhoe was brought into the cemetery of the town to scoop out graves for people to bury their dear ones. Officials believe the massacre to be a choreographed one in which assailants arrived in military uniforms and opened fire with assault rifles. Videos were filmed by witnesses nearby that captured the sound of machine gun fire, which could be heard several miles away. Photos leaked to social media showed the aftermath of the massacre, with barriers and chairs knocked over, and bodies scattered inside and outside the building.
This region has seen soaring rates of violence as smaller, local cartels fight for control over territory and smuggling routes with the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG), one of the country’s most powerful factions, based in the neighbouring state of Jalisco.
© Vygr Media Private Limited 2022. All Rights Reserved.
