Following an operation conducted along a stretch of highway in the municipality of Tabasco, Zacatecas, between five and seven improvised explosive devices—allegedly planted by organized crime groups—were located and defused.
According to security sources, state and federal forces are maintaining a permanent security operation in the area.
Intelligence units detected movements by organized crime operatives suggesting the potential placement of explosive devices at strategic points—locations where convoys of state police and military personnel have recently been conducting patrols and reconnaissance missions.
Consequently, an operation was launched on Saturday in this southern region of the state—which borders Jalisco—specifically near the municipality of Tabasco. This operation necessitated the closure of Federal Highway 54 to traffic for several hours.
In this regard, the Spokesperson’s Office for the State Security Roundtable reported that a “coordinated security operation—led by the Mexican Army and the National Guard—was underway in the municipality following the preliminary detection of probable explosive devices.”
Rodrigo Reyes Mugüerza, Secretary General of the Government of Zacatecas, announced that the highway had been reopened to traffic; however, he noted that security operations in the area remained reinforced and urged the public to proceed with caution.
Just recently, in March 2026, Mugüerza had confirmed an explosive attack targeting the Municipal Police headquarters in Luis Moya.
Security sources reported the discovery of a specific location along the highway stretch where a series of explosive devices had been planted, spaced at precise intervals from one another.
It is estimated that approximately five to seven devices were found concealed within the undergrowth. Consequently, the site was secured by specialized personnel from the Mexican Army, and the investigation has been placed under the jurisdiction of the Attorney General’s Office (FGR). The surge in the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) by organized crime groups represents one of the most alarming tactical escalations in Mexico. According to data from the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) analyzed by InSight Crime, the country went from recording a mere three seizures of these devices between 2020 and 2021 to more than 1,375 in 2022. This trend has only accelerated; recent reports indicate that by 2025, seizures had surpassed 9,800 devices nationwide—representing a growth of over 230% in the span of a single year.
Zacatecas has established itself as one of the epicenters of this crisis.
Municipalities such as Villanueva—which borders Tabasco—accumulated dozens of seizures by late 2024, ranking among the localities with the highest incidence rates nationwide, trailing only behind critical hotspots in Michoacán and Jalisco.
The ease and low cost of manufacturing these explosives—which are typically constructed using plastic pipes, gunpowder, and metal fragments—have enabled their mass production.
Source: informador
