Texas – Following a series of attacks by armed civilians late Sunday along the Jalisco-Michoacan border in western Mexico, five soldiers were killed and two injured by gunfire.
The attacks were preceded by vehicle hijackings and fires on highways. According to local news reports, the violence was carried out by members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG. Mexican news outlets shared videos online of masked men firing automatic weapons at unseen targets from behind parked vehicles.
The mayor of La Piedad, Michoacan, Samuel Hidalgo, stated on social media that vehicles were set on fire as a result of recent attacks. “Public safety agencies are working to keep order. Take precautions in this area!”
He tweeted a photo of firefighters attempting to extinguish a burning trailer.
One attack occurred around 6 p.m. on a highway connecting the towns of La Piedad and Zamora, Michoacan. According to local news reports, someone placed metal spikes on the road, puncturing the tires of a Mexican Army vehicle caravan; soldiers were fired on while repairing their vehicles.
Three soldiers were killed and two injured.
Across the state line, a National Guard patrol was ambushed in La Barca, Jalisco, killing two guard members.
“Following this aggression against members of the Mexican Army and Mexican National Guard in (Michoacan) and Jalisco, with a tally of five officers killed and two injured, the Civil Guard deployed in Zamora, La Piedad and Jiquilpan to locate those responsible,” the secretary of Michoacan public safety told X.
Additional shootouts in the region were reported by Mexican news media.
According to the reputable Mexican news portal Aristegui Noticias, the National Guard blamed the attacks on a CJNG lieutenant.
