Video: Massacre of 8 in Tuzantla Due to LFM's El Pez Extorting the Townspeople

"HEARST" and "Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat 

An independent cartel leader with the alias “Chaparro” from Tuzantla, Michoacan, alleges in a new video that the top La Familia Michoacana (LFM) leaders gave him their word that would not start extorting their town but they broke this vow, which is what lead to the massacre of at least 8 earlier this week. 

Quick Context

The two leaders he spoke with are Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga, alias “El Pez” and José Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga, alias “La Fresa”, who are generally considered to be the leaders of the major LFM cartel group, although there are some LFM groups that seem to operate independent of them.

On August 24, 2022, a major cartel fight broke out in Tuzantla, with various videos and pictures of the bloody aftermath of the battle uploaded to social media and covered in more detail in this previous post. According to Animal Politico, the schism reportedly started when a convoy of vehicles with hitmen pulled into the town, intending to crack down on the local hitmen, and the hitmen began firing on them in response. 

Dallas News reports that eight people were later found deceased although it's likely that the battle killed more hitmen, but their bodies were removed before government forces moved in. Five people were taken into custody on suspicion of being involved in the battle, according to a federal morning press conference. Later it emerged that the local municipal police force only had 35 officers on staff, as covered in this previous post. 

The municipality of Tuzantla, Michoacán, is located in the far eastern section of the state, near the border with the state of Mexico where, despite the name, a majority of LFM’s forces operate.

The Video

Video Source: Pedro967

Video Source: Pedro967

Video translation is as follows, as translated by Sol Prendido:

Good afternoon to all the townspeople of Tierra Caliente, Tuzantla, Benito Juárez, and all of its surroundings. I know that many things are being said, some things that aren’t true and some that are. I speak only because I want to clarify these matters, this chaos, all that happened. 

All of this happened because someone didn’t keep their word, and why exactly is this? Well, I had a deal with El Pezcado and La Fresa, but the terms of this deal we agreed upon weren't upheld. They know this - that this wasn’t how things were supposed to go. 

I was asked to meet with them and I spoke to them in person. I was told that if I stayed in place, things would get better for everyone and all this other stuff. 

I accepted their deal but I told them to leave me as an independent [cartel leader], like I initially was. I don’t depend on any cartel. I don’t depend on anything. I respect all the different groups because they are all cartels and they are fighting each other for their own various reasons. 

But not you, Mr. Pezcado and Mr. Fresa, who gave me your word that my townspeople wouldn’t be extorted. 

We have been living free from extortion here for the last 15 years. And now, after 15 days, 2 or 3 hitmen were sent to collect an extortion fee from me, to collect everything they could. 

This was something that we never agreed on [in our deal]. I sent you many messages to clarify this issue but you never answered or told me anything. 

So, now it looks like I lied to the townspeople but it's only because you lied to me. You made me look like a total dumbass by lying to me. 

I’ve been fighting for my townspeople for the last 15 years. The only thing you’ve done here is to betray me, after having said things would get better, but things were never as you said they would be. The only thing I can ask now is: how far do you want to go with this, with all these betrayals? 

You should’ve never killed all those innocent individuals. It’s said that you were just coming after me. So, why were you killing innocent civilians? Why did you do this? 

I told the townspeople the deal that you had given me and they were satisfied with this because you said there would be zero extortions and that everything would continue on like it had before. 

Everything was supposed to get better. Afterwards I went before the townspeople in person, because I am a man and I stand behind my word like a man.

I told the townspeople that what happened had nothing to do with me. I showed them the audio recordings, the proof where you had said there would be zero extortion and the townspeople heard those recordings.

Sources: Mexico News Daily, Dallas News, Noticieros Televisa, Animal Politico