Mexican Police Restore 'Order' In Michoacán Following Gang Assaults With Explosives And Roadblocks

Order has been "restored" in the Mexican state of Michoacan after criminal gangs reportedly attacked a police station using drones to drop explosives, apart from blocking roads and setting vehicles on fire.

The Michoacán state police posted Tuesday on X, "Order in Tierra Caliente (region) has been strengthened. Traffic in Apatzingan and Buenavista has been restored and safety operations continue," according to Google Translate.

Mexican media reported earlier in the day that drones bombed a police station in Buenavista, and added there were three explosions, but no injuries, according to the Border Report.

Proceso, a left-wing Mexican news magazine, reported that the bombing was followed by shootings, roadblocks, and vehicles being set on fire. The newspaper Excelsior shared videos on its website showing a bus on fire and a passenger escaping through the smoke.

El Financiero, citing unnamed police sources, said the attacks were linked to a conflict between criminal gangs, including Los Viagras, Cartel del Abuelo, Templar Knights and the larger Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

For many years, the Jalisco cartel has been fighting local groups for control over drug trafficking and other criminal activities in the Tierra Caliente region, which includes parts of Michoacán, Guerrero and Mexico State.

Earlier this month, a top Mexican official revealed that cartel drone attacks in Michoacán have resulted in the deaths of an unspecified number of soldiers. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Luis Crescencio Sandoval said the army was getting anti-drone systems to deal with this threat.

In 2023, Mexico recorded 260 drone attacks involving explosives, according to the Ministry of Defense. Most of these attacks have been linked to the Jalisco cartel.

Previously, the police in Mexico's Chihuahua City said they had rescued 1,245 migrants from criminal gangs over the past seven months.

A law enforcement official said that kidnappings, extortion, and violence targeting foreign nationals, who attempted to cross the border into the United States were on the rise, while the overall number of migrants making the journey has come down in recent months.

Last month, a report mentioned that there was a surge in "unnecessary" family separations at the U.S.-Mexico border, adding that migrants were being mistreated, while in U.S. Border Patrol custody.