The explosion of a vehicle in front of the Community Police headquarters in Coahuayana, Michoacán, on Saturday, December 6, is believed to be part of the ongoing dispute between cartels in the municipality due to its strategic location within the state.
In an interview with Infobae Mexico, David Saucedo, an expert in public security and organized crime, explained that this attack stems from the continuous conflict between criminal groups vying for control of the municipality, as it provides them with access to the Michoacán coast.
Saucedo explained that for at least five years, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG)—led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho”—and cells of the United Cartels group have been fighting for control of the municipality because of its location on the border between Colima and Michoacán.
Coahuayana also has access to Federal Highway 200, a key route because it connects all the municipalities in Michoacán’s coastal region, which benefits the CJNG in controlling the area and ensuring its expansion throughout the state.
According to the expert, this municipality is a key location for accessing other regions of Michoacán, which is why the CJNG is interested in it to solidify its total control of the state.
Indeed, according to a criminal map created by Víctor Manuel Sánchez Valdés, a researcher at the Autonomous University of Coahuila and an expert in public security, the so-called “four-letter cartel” has operations in 110 of the state’s 113 municipalities.
However, Saucedo explained that this municipality maintains a “wall” implemented by Carteles Unidos to prevent the CJNG from controlling it.
“Coahuayana is the gateway to the coastal region and the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains of Michoacán. One of the factors that has prevented Michoacán from falling under the control of “El Mencho’s” forces is precisely that the supply of weapons, ammunition, equipment, and the arrival of reinforcements is hampered by the “funnel” and containment measures implemented by the United Cartels in Coahuayana. The municipality has become a wall that halts the advance of the CJNG troops in the area,” he explained.
Saucedo commented that the United Cartels are influencing the municipality’s electoral processes, causing authorities to act in their favor to prevent the CJNG from entering.
In response, the cartel led by “El Mencho” is reportedly carrying out attacks against the community police and forcing civilians to flee the municipality due to the insecurity.
“The Jalisco cartel has responded with attacks against the community police, planting landmines, launching drone attacks, placing car bombs (as happened today in the main square of the municipal seat), and using narco-terrorism tactics, which have led to the displacement of the civilian population,” he explained.
A similar incident occurred on August 24, 2024, when an armed confrontation took place between alleged members of the CJNG cartel and the Coahuayana Community Police, resulting in the deaths of eight officers.
Furthermore, on February 22, 2025, a vehicle exploded on a dirt road in the municipality, destroying it and causing material damage to a building and a field due to the blast wave.
Source: infobae
