An armed confrontation between alleged members of organized crime and members of the Emiliano Zapata Peasant Organization (OCEZ-Casa del Pueblo) left a preliminary, unconfirmed death toll of six people and several wounded, according to residents of the region.
The events occurred between the municipalities of Venustiano Carranza and Nicolás Ruiz, where Tsotsil indigenous communities maintain systems of organization and territorial control. Residents report that the conflict began when armed individuals, allegedly from the Nuevo León ejido in the municipality of Teopisca, entered Nicolás Ruiz in vehicles and opened fire at a community checkpoint.
According to local sources, two people were killed and two others wounded in that initial confrontation. Subsequently, the attackers headed towards Venustiano Carranza, where they encountered a roadblock set up by members of the Casa del Pueblo.
“At one of the entrances they were allowed to pass, but at another there was resistance and a confrontation broke out,” residents recounted. According to these accounts, the death toll is at least ten: six alleged criminals and four community members, in addition to several injured.
The State Attorney General’s Office reported that, as of Friday night, it did not have an official death toll, as they are still conducting their investigation.
For his part, Governor Eduardo Ramírez Aguilar confirmed only that six injured people received medical attention and were transferred to the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) Rural Hospital in Venustiano Carranza. “Four are stable and two are receiving timely care,” he explained.
The governor explained that community members from Nicolás Ruiz detected a suspicious vehicle that opened fire at an ejido checkpoint, prompting an immediate response from the community organization to protect the population.
Videos circulating on social media show moments of the confrontation, as well as images of armed individuals and bodies lying on the ground. Some videos also show gunfire and scenes of extreme violence, although their authenticity has not been verified by authorities.
In addition, audio recordings shared via messaging apps reveal urgent calls from residents requesting armed reinforcements due to the scale of the conflict.
Security forces from all three levels of government, including the National Guard and the 7th Military Region, deployed an operation in the area. A helicopter from the Secretariat of Public Security was also reported to be monitoring the area.
“The objective is to restore order, protect the safety of families, and prevent further incidents,” authorities stated in a press release.
Soure: msn
