At least 14 police officers were killed and three others injured in an ambush by gunmen allegedly linked to Mexico's most powerful criminal organisation, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. The attack occurred on Monday morning in El Aguaje, a town in the municipality of Aguililla, Michoacán, while the officers were executing a warrant.
The Michoacán state police reported that the officers were fired upon by several armed civilians at approximately 8am. A cellphone video captured by a motorist showed two police vehicles set on fire by the attackers. At least six officers remain missing, according to the Ministry of Public Safety.
The gunmen left two written messages on poster boards claiming responsibility and warning other police officers not to work with rival groups, specifically naming Los Templarios, Viagras, and the Chocomiles de Tepeque. Michoacán governor Silvano Aureoles Conejo stated that the authenticity of the messages would be investigated by authorities.
Following the attack, federal and state security forces reinforced the area, setting up checkpoints to find the assailants. Michoacán, an important avocado-growing state, has seen a recent spike in violence reminiscent of the bloodiest days of Mexico's drug war between 2006 and 2012.
The Jalisco New Generation Cartel, led by Nemesio 'El Mencho' Oseguera Cervantes, is one of Mexico's most-wanted drug lords. The US Department of Justice is offering a $10 million reward for his capture.
