Two Police Officers Dead, Dozens of Vehicles Torched During Drug Cartel's Roadblocks In Mexico

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Security and Civilian Protection Secretary Omar García Harfuch confirmed on Thursday the deaths of at least two law enforcement officers following violent cartel-related clashes in central Mexico.

The violence was part of ongoing confrontations between rival criminal groups vying for territorial control. Drug cartels set up roadblocks and torched vehicles and businesses across 29 municipalities in Michoacán, Jalisco and Guanajuato, authorities said.

"The origin of these attacks lies in the territorial dispute between criminal organizations," García Harfuch said, adding that those responsible will be brought to justice. "These acts will not go unpunished," Mexico's top security official added in a publication on X.

The majority of the attacks took place in the state of Michoacán, with authorities detailing that at least 26 different municipalities in the state were impacted by the violent clashes.

The incidents took place after alleged members of the Cártel Michoacano Nueva Generación —a criminal cell of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG)— attacked Mexican armed forces in southern Mexico.

After the attack, Michoacán state authorities reported that 17 vehicles were set ablaze at the same time in multiple highways near Apatzingán, La Piedad, Morelia and Pátzcuaro, among others. In Jalisco, cartel roadblocks were reported in the municipality of Ocotlán, a community located about 20 miles from the Michoacán-Jalisco border.

Initial investigations are attributing the attacks to the Cártel Michoacano Nueva Generación, which was founded by members of the Jalisco Cartel and its dispute with Los Viagras, a splinter group originated from the Familia Michoacana and Caballeros Templarios organizations.

Who are Los Viagras?

According to InSight Crime, the war between Los Viagras and the Jalisco Cartel in Michoacán has been one of the most intense in the country in the last few years, often facing off in shootouts and establishing roadblocks to prevent the entry of the rival group or authorities in territories they control.

The group was seemingly founded in Huetamo, Michoacán, by seven brothers of the Sierra Santana family. But several of them have now been killed or arrested. According to the outlet, the organization's current leader is Nicolás Sierra Santana, alias "El Gordo."

Authorities seize and destroy landmines

While informing about the attacks, Harfuch confirmed that authorities who responded to the roadblocks destroyed several mines planted by criminal groups, and confiscated multiple explosive devices used by cartels.

As investigations continue, explosive devices seized by authorities have been linked to the Jalisco Cartel, as the criminal organization has been known for producing landmines.

Earlier this year, a former member of Colombia's armed forces told Animal Político that he was recruited by the CJNG in 2023 in order to handle the installation and production of explosives.

"Soldiers in Colombia have knowledge in all sorts of equipment, including explosives. We know how to activate and deactivate them, as well as how to produce them. That is why we are so sought after by Mexican cartels," he said.