Prison Director in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán, Killed Along With Security Chief and Guard

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat

Andrés Mederos Sánchez, the director of the penitentiary in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán was killed along with Gonzalo Mendoza Jiménez, the head of security, and Abel Bejar Calderon, a guard. Two other guards were injured in the attack.

The director of the Lázaro Cárdenas Social Reinsertion Center (more commonly referred to as CERESO), Andrés Mederos Sánchez was leaving the penitentiary at roughly 8:00 pm on May 19, 2021. He was riding inside a gray prison security pickup truck accompanied by Gonzalo Mendoza Jiménez, the prison’s head of security and Abel Bejar Calderon, a prison guard who was acting as their driver for the night.

Notivideo reports two additional unnamed guards were also present in the vehicle. The prison is located just north of the small town of El Bordonal, in the south east corner of Michoacán, close to the border of Guerrero.

Shortly after leaving the vicinity of the prison, while they were travelling north east towards the Lázaro Cárdenas - La Mira highway they were ambushed by heavily armed men. Very little details on the manner of the attack have been officially released so far.

However, photo evidence of what is alleged to be the crime scene by local news outlets shows a gray prison pickup truck semi submerged in a shallow body of water, possibly a retention pond. The pickup truck’s side windows appear to be shot out and the front windshield appears to show bullet impacts as well. The arm and torso of a man  can be seen in the rear seat of the submerged vehicle.

El Universal reports that Sánchez, Jiménez and Calderon were killed immediately and two other unnamed prison guards were injured with gunshot wounds. Police authorities were alerted to the attack and rushed to the scene but the perpetrators had already fled by the time they arrived. Paramedics then arrived at the vehicle. They were able to quickly determine three of the men showed no vital signs and they administered medical aid to the two injured guards. The guards were then taken to a port hospital for special medical treatment, likely due to the severity of their wounds.

A multidisciplinary team of investigators and forensic experts were sent to the scene and after it was processed, the three bodies were sent for autopsy. So far the cause of the attack is unknown.

Photo of what is alleged to be the vehicle that was attacked, as reported by El Siglo

Paramedics and police officers at the scene

Sources: Milenio, El Universal, La Voz de Michoacán, Proceso, Atiempo, La Silla Rota, Zeta Tijuana, Notivideo

Photo Credits: El Dia de Michoacán,  El Siglo, La Prensa de Coahuila