5 military personnel killed in suspected CJNG attacks in Jalisco and Michoacán

Two members of the National Guard (GN) and 3 Mexican soldiers were killed connected Sunday successful 2 abstracted attacks allegedly perpetrated by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) successful Jalisco and Michoacán.

Alleged CJNG gunmen killed 2 National Guard members successful the municipality of Guadalupe del Lerma successful the Jalisco municipality of La Barca, the GN told the EFE quality agency.

Michoacán | Emboscan a militares en Chilchota; hay tres soldados fallecidos y dos heridos

Un camión de la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (SEDENA) fue atacado por un grupo armado la noche de este domingo en la carretera Morelia-Zamora, a e la Guardia Nacional muertos y dos pic.twitter.com/DzGWPgGgRm

— Es Michoacán Noticia (@EsMichoacanNews) March 17, 2025

The victims belonged to the National Guard’s road information part and were successful a GN conveyance erstwhile they came nether fire.

Alleged CJNG henchman besides changeable dormant 3 soldiers successful the Michoacán municipality of Chilchota. The troops came nether onslaught astatine astir 7:30 p.m. erstwhile they were changing the tires connected an service conveyance that had driven implicit roadworthy spikes laid by cartel operatives connected the road betwixt Chilchota and Zamora, according to EFE.

At slightest 2 different soldiers were wounded successful the attack.

The Michoacán Security Ministry said successful a societal media station precocious connected Sunday nighttime that the authorities Civil Guard had begun an “inter-institutional operation” aimed astatine detaining the perpetrators of the attacks successful Michoacán and Jalisco. It said the cognition spanned the municipalities of Zamora, La Piedad and Jiquilpan.

No arrests had been reported arsenic of Monday morning.

Aristegui Noticias and different media outlets reported that 3 presumed criminals were killed successful clashes connected Sunday evening betwixt national information forces and members of the CJNG, 1 of six Mexican cartels precocious designated arsenic overseas violent organizations by the United States government. As of Monday morning, the deaths of the alleged cartel members had not been confirmed by authorities.

Tras la agresión a elementos del #EjércitoMexicano y la @GN_MEXICO_ en Chilchota y Jalisco, con un saldo de cinco oficiales fallecidos y dos heridos, la #GuardiaCivil desplegó un operativo interinstitucional en Zamora, La Piedad y Jiquilpan para localizar a los responsables. pic.twitter.com/E2oJ4YyWZh

— SSP MICHOACÁN (@SSeguridad_Mich) March 17, 2025

Early connected Monday, the authorities information ministry said that the Civil Guard had begun an “inter-institutional operation” successful Zamora aimed astatine detaining the perpetrators of the attacks successful Michoacán and Jalisco.

The attacks successful Jalisco and Michoacán came little than 2 weeks aft the find of clandestine crematoriums connected a Jalisco ranch linked to the CJNG. The spot successful the municipality of Teuchitlán has been variously described arsenic an “extermination camp,” an “apparent wide sidesplitting site” and adjacent “Mexico’s Auschwitz.”

A convulsive evening 

According to EFE, the archetypal onslaught successful a bid of assaults carried retired by the CJNG connected Sunday occurred astatine astir 6 p.m. successful the municipality of San Antonio de Rivas successful the Jalisco municipality of La Barca.

In San Antonio de Rivas, gunmen opened occurrence connected GN unit carrying retired patrols successful the area, EFE said. No deaths oregon injuries were reported arsenic a effect of that attack.

San Antonio de Rivas is located astir 7 kilometers from Guadalupe del Lerma, wherever the 2 GN members were killed. La Barca is located successful eastbound Jalisco connected the borderline with Michoacán.

EFE reported that information forces besides came nether occurrence connected Sunday evening successful the Michoacán municipalities of Vista Hermosa, Tanhuato and Yurécuaro. All 3 municipalities are located connected the borderline with Jalisco. Two authorities constabulary officers were wounded successful those attacks, the Milenio paper reported.

Alleged CJNG members besides hijacked a fig of vehicles connected Sunday which they subsequently acceptable alight to make fiery roadblocks connected highways that nexus Michoacán to Jalisco and connected different respective different roads successful assorted Michoacán municipalities.

Criminal groups successful Mexico often usage alleged “narco-blockades” to forestall further information forces from reaching areas wherever they are engaged successful confrontations with authorities oregon different illicit activities.

Attacks attributed to adjacent subordinate of CJNG person ‘El Mencho’  

Citing preliminary National Guard investigations, EFE reported that CJNG “deputy” Heraclio Guerrero Martínez is liable for orchestrating the attacks successful Jalisco and Michoacán.

The U.S. State Department is presently offering US $15 cardinal for accusation starring to the apprehension and/or condemnation of “El Mencho,” who is the writer attributed to yesterday’s onslaught connected Mexico’s National Guard. (state.gov)

EFE said that Guerrero, known arsenic “El Tio Laco,” has been identified arsenic “a antheral adjacent to” Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the person of the almighty CJNG.

The U.S. State Department is offering a reward of up to US $15 cardinal for accusation starring to the apprehension and/or condemnation of Oseguera.

On its “wanted” leafage for El Mencho, the State Department says that the CJNG “was formed successful 2009 and has grown into 1 of the astir convulsive cause cartels successful Mexico.”

It says that the cartel “has been assessed to person the highest cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine trafficking capableness successful Mexico, and implicit the past fewer years, [that capacity] includes the trafficking of fentanyl into the United States.”

Former DEA head Anne Milgram said that the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel airs “the top transgression menace the United States has ever faced” fixed the ample quantity of fentanyl they illegally vessel to the United States.

With reports from EFE, MVS Noticias, Aristegui Noticias, Reforma, DW and Milenio