During security and surveillance actions, state and federal agents captured Francisco Manuel “N”, alias ‘El Panchillo’, in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, identified as a generator of violence in the lake area of the municipality.
According to the reconstruction of the events shared by the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE), the events occurred on the afternoon of February 10, when the personnel were making rounds along the gap that connects Pátzcuaro with the town of Cuanajo in the company of elements of the National Guard and the Civil Guard.
While traveling through said area, the uniformed officers noticed the presence of a group of armed civilians who were traveling aboard three vehicles, so they were intercepted. Upon inspecting the units, it was confirmed that they were a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a Mitsubishi and a Ford Maverick with Nebraska (United States) plates, the latter with a current theft report.
At the scene, the inter-institutional group carried out the arrest of ‘El Panchillo’ and six of his collaborators, identified as Francisco Antonio “N”, Densel Leones “N”, José Isaí “N”, Leonardo “N”, Eduardo “N” and Eduardo “X”.
The criminal cell had in its possession four AR-15 firearms, two AK-47 rifles (also called “cuervos de chivo”) and a 223-6.56 caliber, as well as 10 AK-47 magazines, four AR-15s, 276 useful 7.62×39 caliber cartridges and 96 .223 caliber. In addition, three suitcases containing a substance similar to marijuana were located inside one of the vehicles.
In announcing these arrests, the FGE of Michoacán detailed that ‘El Panchillo’ is linked to a criminal cell and is related to several investigation files for different events.
One of the files opened against ‘El Panchillo’ refers to the murder of José Luis “C”, an active member of the Investigative Police (PDI), and another man in the Revolución neighborhood on January 5, 2024.
Various journalistic investigations indicate that Pátzcuaro is one of the territories that organizations such as Los Caballeros Templarios and the Jalisco Nueva Generación Cartel (CJNG) are currently fighting over. The latter group was credited with the kidnapping of businessman Tariácuri Hernández in November 2024, which would have been orchestrated by a regional leader of the four-letter cartel identified by the alias ‘J3’. It is presumed that this leader would be at the head of the criminal structure in the municipalities of Pátzcuaro, Tzintzuntzan, Quiroga and Zacapu.
Source: infobae
