Criminal groups operating in Michoacán blocked at least 10 highways and set fire to approximately 15 vehicles in the municipalities of Apatzingán, Buenavista, Uruapan, Zamora, Zacapu, La Piedad, and in the area bordering Jalisco, near Yurécuaro.
The state Public Security Secretariat (SSP) stated that this is a response by organized crime to operations in recent weeks in regions of the state such as Bajío, Zamora, Tierra Caliente, Ciénega de Chapala, and the Oriente, among others.
In the municipality of Uruapan, armed individuals drove through and set fire to a van on the Uruapan-Pátzcuaro freeway near San Andrés Corú. Additionally, armed individuals set fire to two vehicles and an Oxxo convenience store in Apatzingán.
In Michoacán’s capital, two vehicles were set on fire on the Salamanca exit—near the Morelia Institute of Technology—and another in the Prados Verdes neighborhood, on Avenida Morelos Norte.
Meanwhile, the Michoacán Public Security Secretariat reported that, together with the Defense Ministry, the National Guard “deployed various operational actions at different points in the state to address roadblocks caused by criminal groups in response to ongoing security actions.”
The operational areas, he added, have been reinforced in the regions of Zamora, Zacapu, Apatzingán, La Piedad, and Morelia to locate those responsible for these events and guarantee the safety of the population. Efforts are also being carried out to restore free traffic.
In this regard, Jalisco authorities reported that at least six heavy-duty vehicles were set on fire at kilometer 407+050 of the Guadalajara-Morelia highway, near the La Salamea neighborhood in the municipality of La Barca, very close to the border with Michoacán.
At approximately 2:30 p.m. this Wednesday, federal and state forces responded to the report. According to preliminary information from the State Attorney General’s Office, the blockade was caused by approximately 50 civilians, some of them on motorcycles, who were not carrying firearms.
The response extends to Guanajuato
Five trailers and a truck were set on fire at different points along the La Piedad-Pénjamo-Abasolo highway as part of the “riots originating in the state of Michoacán,” reported Secretary of Security and Peace Juan Mauro González Martínez.
“Vehicle fires were reported at four highway locations in the southwest of the state of Guanajuato, with no injuries,” the agency posted on social media.
The vehicles were burned on key transit routes and are being attended to by State Public Security Forces (FSPE) personnel, it stated.
In the municipality of Pénjamo, the vehicles were burned on the Pénjamo-Abasolo highway near the Corralejo tequila factory.
The fires also occurred at four locations on the La Piedad-Pénjamo highway, near the Albapesa food factory, the Tyrsa company, the San Rafael de la Maraña community, and near the John Deere company.
In the municipality of Abasolo, the fires occurred on the Pénjamo-Abasolo highway, near the El Refugio de Ayala community.
“These events are related to riots originating in the state of Michoacán, where similar incidents have been reported in at least five municipalities. A case is also known in La Barca, Jalisco,” he stated.
The Secretary of Security said that in Guanajuato, the situation is contained and under control. At 5:00 p.m., work to extinguish the fires was completed, and traffic was restored at 6:45 p.m.
“State security authorities, in coordination with federal agencies, are working to fully clear the affected roads, prioritizing the safety of citizens,” he stated.
The governments of Mexico, Guanajuato, Jalisco, and Michoacán are implementing security operations to locate those responsible and prevent further acts of violence, he revealed.
As part of the operation, the FSPE (National Police Force) reinforced surveillance in Regions X, VIII, and VI, especially in the municipalities of León, San Francisco and Purísima del Rincón, Manuel Doblado, Pénjamo, Abasolo, Huanímaro, Valle de Santiago, Yuriria, Moroleón, and Uriangato, he stated.
“Likewise, through C5, the municipal police forces in these regions are alerted so they can take the necessary measures,” he concluded.
Source: jornada
