The Tixtla region of Guerrero, located in the central part of the state, has become an epicenter of violence, territorial control, and forced displacement, dominated by emerging cartels and criminal vigilantes. The recent murder of Hossein Nabor Guillén, Undersecretary of Social Policy at the Ministry of Welfare and former mayor of Tixtla, has once again put the spotlight on the interference of armed groups in local politics.
For a decade, this municipality and its surrounding areas have been the scene of a constant dispute between criminal organizations such as Los Ardillos, Los Rojos, Los Tlacos, and the Cartel del Sur. Of these organizations, authorities identify Los Ardillos as the most influential group in the central region of Guerrero. Their operational capabilities include territorial control, ambushes against community members, and attacks on rivals.
In 2015, this group murdered four community police officers in Tixtla, marking a turning point in the perception of security. Since then, the municipality has remained under constant pressure from organized crime, in a situation where local authorities have been accused of possible links to these groups.
Transporters and Communities
On the other hand, Los Tlacos, allied with Guerreros Unidos and cells of the Cartel del Sur, operate primarily in Zumpango del Río and Chichihualco. Their interest in gold mines and poppy cultivation has sparked clashes that have repercussions in the Tixtla region, increasing instability and ungovernability.
The violence generated by the dispute between these groups has led to the forced displacement of entire communities. In Chichihualco, for example, at least 300 people were forced to leave their homes amid the dispute over the Los Filos mine. Although Tixtla has not experienced a mass exodus, residents live under the constant threat of having to flee if violence escalates.
Displaced families often face an uncertain outlook: temporary shelters without decent conditions, uprooting, and the inability to return to their communities, which contributes to the humanitarian crisis in the central region of Guerrero.
On September 2, 2025, Hossein Nabor Guillén was shot and killed in the Abedul neighborhood of Tixtla, just a few meters from a permanent police checkpoint. The attack, carried out by armed men, sparked outrage and highlighted the level of impunity with which criminal organizations operate in the region.
The Indigenous Communities of Tixtla
The Guerrero State Attorney General’s Office (FGEG) has opened an investigation into aggravated homicide. However, no arrests have been reported so far. The case gained greater relevance due to previous accusations against Nabor Guillén for his alleged ties to Los Ardillos.
In 2018, a video circulated in which he appears hugging Celso Ortega Jiménez, the leader of this criminal group, reinforcing the perception of collusion between politicians and drug trafficking.
Source: infobae
