Clashes Between Nights Templar and Vigilante Groups in Michoacan

Borderland Beat

In a series of clashes between the criminal group Knights Templar or Caballeros Templarios (CT) against community vigilante groups (comunitarios) who patrol the Tierra Caliente region of Michoacán that left an unconfirmed toll of at least 10 people killed, this according to sources from the Federal Police and the State Attorney's office.



Authorities also said that the shooting left an undetermined amount of injured, that including civilians outside from the criminal groups.

The state Ministerial Police meanwhile reported that the shootings started this morning May 4 in the municipalities of Buenavista Tomatlán, Tepalcatepec and in the surrounding mountains of Apatzingán.

Apparently the clashes were between community patrol vigilante groups or comunitarios and a criminal organization that accuses the comunitarios of having ties to a rival drug cartel.

Authorities reported that shootout lasted for more than two hours between the two armed groups and even grenades were detonated that caused damage to nearby houses.

It was also reported that at about 1400 hours armed groups conducted road blocks and check points in the federal highway of Uruapan, but soon withdrew when the federal police arrived to secure the area.

In the area where the shootings took place a total of 10 bodies were recovered this according to the State Attorney General Office.

The department of the Public Ministry was on scene to process the crime scene and initiate an investigation.

Source: Proceso



In the last month there has been tension building up in the Tierra caliente region of Michoacan as vigilante groups get more agressive and the authorities get confused who is who.

There has also been reports that some of these "comunitarios," that appeared to be heavily armed, are attempting to empose enforcement among the populace of the region, causing an increase of activity from criminal groups that includes the resurrection of the Knights Templar who maintain power and control in the region.

Video source: Tierra del narco






Armed community vigilante groups or comunitarios arm themselves and take out to the streets in Michoacan.

About 2 thousand community vigilante guards or comunitarios of Nueva Italia, Michoacan took out to the streets fully armed mostly with clubs and rocks, blocked streets with trucks and buses they had high-jacked. They are present in heavy numbers in Tepalcatepec and Buenavista, they also taunted and protested against the federal police.



Exodus of families in Michoacan fearing violence

Families from Buenavista Tomatlán, Michoacan have abandoned their homes for fear of violence between armed criminal groups (CT) and members of the so-called community guards or "comunitarios," a heavily armed vigiante armed group of citizens.

Families have been forced inside their homes cancelling schools, closing bars and forbidding the sale of alcohol. People live in fear while dodging shootouts in the middle of town and surrounding mountains.



The brother of the mayor of Buenavista, Tomatlán is executed in May 1.

The renowned farmer and rancher and distributor of gasoline, Jesus Torres Chavez, was killed early on Wednesday, allegedly by the community vigilante guards (comunitarios). The victim is the brother of the mayor of Buenavista, Tomatlán who said the heavily armed vigilante group was upset because he did not give them the weapons of the municipal police.