Tepalcatepec, Michoacán: “The Cartel Jalisco Is So Powerful That Not Even The Mexican Military Can Overtake Them”

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

Video translation is as follows:

Male Reporter # 1: The war in Tierra Caliente has never stopped. Quite the contrary, it has gotten worse. The narco infantry troops reinforced with their .50 caliber Barret rifles have been joined by the armored war tanks known as Monsters. And now also a mini air force deployed by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel that maintains the cession over Tepalcatepec.

Ten days ago at night this device was blown up by the gunmen of Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera over a fort dug and built by the Self Defense Groups of Juan José ‘El Abuelo’ Farías in a crucial position.

Drones of this type allow the remote release of a load that in this case was a 60mm mortar shell. Whose destructive capacity is much greater than that of a hand grenade.

It is dangerous enough that if the tip of the small missile touches the ground for the bomb to explode. It will smash everything it finds within 16 meters. Exactly at this point is the low shrapnel that fell from the apparatus.

Male Reporter # 2: Did you guys build the entrenchment like this?

Gunman # 1: Yes.

Male Reporter # 2: How long did it take to build this fort with the trench?

Gunman # 1: I believe it was several months.

Gunman #2: …well, since they’ve just blown my fucking cap off after that mortar round was sent down range. 

Male Reporter #2: Just your cap sir?

Gunman #2: Yes, just the cap because it’s attached to my head…oh shit it’s so beautiful how that fucking mortar round kicks off. 

Gunman #3: This here overhead protection is for the drones. The Jalisco gunmen tend to strap their drones with C4 explosives. So, what you see here above us is the protection we use against drone attacks. 

Male Reporter #2: What does it look like when they explode, have you personally witnessed this?

Gunman #1: Well, more than anything you’re left in this state of total confusion. You’re not aware of what’s going on. You’re left hypnotized and deaf for a bit. For a few seconds you’re not aware of what’s going on. You’re left in this zombie state. 

Gunman #2: At thirty meters the fragmentation’s will tear you to pieces. It’ll cut off your foot, a hand, or rip your chest open. Within the fragments there could be blades, ball bearings, nails, all sorts of things could be inside of them. 

Male Reporter # 1: The city of Tepalcatepec is currently living through its third war. More than 15 years ago the city was defended by the Self Defense Groups against Los Zetas. Followed by a local but no less bloody conflict against the Knights Templar cartel.

Now they’re trying to contain the advancement of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which is accusing the Self Defense Groups of fighting while having been reinforced with Los Viagras and Templars in what they call the United Cartels.

True or not, the population not involved in the dispute has been under fire for 50 days now. 

Gunman # 4: We don't need any cartel to come and liberate Tepeque. You can freely go to any nearby business and ask them if the town is free. Or if it’s under the yolk of organized crime. What we don't want is a cartel here.

Gunman # 5: Even though this cartel is a huge cartel. Here we are going to fight. I just came from being at my home at ease, the emergency popped off and I’ve come to fight. I don't know if I'm going to come back or not. But if I don't come back, no problem. I'm going to die fighting. And why is this? It's because I'm not going to die on my knees here.

Male Reporter # 1: Days ago the Jalisco Cartel seized a camp in Tepalcatepec aka Tepeque as locals call the town.

Male Reporter #2: Do you know how the captured gunmen are killed?

Gunman #6: They’re dismembered. 

Gunman #5: I haven’t personally witnessed how they’ve done it to intimidate. 

Male Reporter #2: Are you afraid of this?

Gunman #5: No. What’s coming toward us is what scares me. This is why I’ll fight to the death with them before I’ll allow for that to happen to me. The Cartel Jalisco is so powerful that not even the Mexican military can overtake them. We shouldn’t be ashamed to admit this either because it’s the truth. The military is on this side. And the Cartel Jalisco is over there. So, why won’t the military do anything about it? The military commanders say: what can we do? We can’t make our own orders here. They’re exactly right. They have the equipment, the capacity, the armaments, they have everything they need. But what they’re lacking is for the order to come down from above for them. 

Male Reporter #2: Will the city of Tepalcatepec fall?

Gunman #5: It will never fall into enemy hands. We ain’t got no time for bullshit here. We will fight to the very end. 

Ciro Gómez Leyva