Crime

164 Hitmen from the Pueblos Unidos Cartel Detained in Michoacán

A total of 164 alleged hitmen from the Pueblos Unidos cartel were captured this Saturday by security forces in Michoacán. This is what they are.

Mexicanist

Mexicanist

— 2 min read
164 Hitmen from the Pueblos Unidos Cartel Detained in Michoacán
In Michoacán, federal forces in coordination with state forces detained 164 members of the criminal group "Pueblos Unidos" when they attempted to break into the municipalities of Uruapan and Parangarícutiro. Credit: Juan Becerra Acosta

A total of 164 alleged hitmen from the Pueblos Unidos cartel were captured this Saturday, by security forces after carrying out a series of road blockades in Michoacán. The government of Michoacán confirmed that the armed men were detained on Saturday afternoon when they were blocking various stretches of the Siglo XXI federal highway, which links the city of Morelia with the international port of Lázaro Cárdenas, on the Pacific coast.

The armed commando used 28 vehicles of different makes and types, mainly pick-up trucks, with "Pueblos Unidos" signs, and one of the units has handmade armor plating.

Near the town of Zirahuén, in the municipality of Salvador Escalante, 100 agents from the Mexican Army, the National Guard, and the state police caught the 164 assassins by surprise and put them down. The operation included armored vehicles. The Michoacan Public Security Secretariat (SSP) said in a press release that the 164 people being held had 142 assault rifles, 44 pistols of different calibers, thousands of useful cartridges, and tactical equipment.

Part of the arsenal was seized from members of Pueblos Unidos in the municipality of Uruapan Michoacán.
Part of the arsenal was seized from members of Pueblos Unidos in the municipality of Uruapan Michoacán who were holding roadblocks in that area and which were liberated by federal forces, with the arrest of 164 people in possession of all types of weapons. Credit: Agencies

Pueblos Unidos Cartel

The Pueblos Unidos cartel is an organization of armed civilians that emerged in April 2021, with barricades in the Michoacan municipalities of Tancítaro, Taretan, Nuevo Urecho, Salvador Escalante, and Ario de Rosales (close to the municipality of Pátzcuaro), justifying their movement in the supposed defense of avocado producers against extortion by drug cartels.

The main company that sends avocados to the U.S., Asia, and Europe, the Association of Avocado Producers and Packers of the State of Michoacán (APEAM), said that it did not recognize members of Pueblos Unidos as its members or security guards.

In Michoacán, the Attorney General's Office (FGR) and the State Attorney General's Office (FGE) have identified the presence of the criminal organizations Jalisco Cartel-New Generation (CJNG), La Familia Michoacana, Los Caballeros Templarios Cartel, Camaleón Cartel, Los Correa Cartel, Zicuirán Cartel, Los Reyes Cartel, and Tepalcatepec Cartel.

These events in Michoacán took place hours after the Baja California government and public security authorities on Saturday blamed the Jalisco Cartel-New Generation (CJNG) for the violent events of Friday evening, which left a total of 28 vehicles set on fire in 5 of the state's 7 municipalities, in addition to 17 alleged criminals arrested.

On Thursday, there was a violent day in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, which left 11 dead, 12 wounded, and several businesses and vehicles set on fire, and in previous days, such violent acts were recorded in the states of Jalisco and Guanajuato.

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