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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| 5 Killed in Fighting in Michoacan; Fighting Continues |
| 2010-12-10 |
| Google Translate. A hat tip to Nota Roja for additional details Roads leading into Morelia, Michoacan were blocked by disabled heavy vehicles as fighting between Mexican security forces and members of LaFamilia drug cartel enters its third day, according to Mexican news account. Fighting began around 2100 hrs Wednesday night near the town of Apatzingan where drivers reported that the road connecting Apatzingan to Uruapan was blocked by a heavy vehicles. Later reports say a raid by as many as 300 Mexican Federal agents in the town of El Mayor near the Ahuate market sparked a firefight with armed suspects, and roadblocks. Several vehicles were abandoned on the highway. The Apatzingan-Cuatro Caminos road was also blocked, as was a section of a turnpike 40 kilometers from Taretan. An eight month old female infant was shot to death in the crossfire in Apatzingan. Emma Yaritza Jaimes, the 17 year old daughter of mayor Guadalupe Jaimes Valladares, was killed in early fighting. Jaimes Valladares was wounded in the same shooting . Four Mexican Federal agents were wounded as well. The wounded agents were airlifted to hospitals in Morelia. Reports say the a convoy of Mexican Federal agents was ambushed near the tollbooth in Tartan, with an unknown number of federal agents were wounded, but with no official reports on the actual toll. Armed suspects ambushed the convoy while hiding behind a mound of dirt near the highway. About 50 vehicles including armored trucks and six helicopters were involved in fighting around El Mayor, where several roadblocks had been set up by armed groups. These Mexican Federal forces were involved in heavy fighting including the use of hand grenades and assault rifles by armed suspects, which apparently drew in a number of other security forces from Michoacan state forces as well. An hour later the Apatzingan-Cuatro Caminos road was blocked near the Agrimix plant. Armed supects disabled two cement mixers and a three ton truck carrying papayas blocking the center lanes. Several other private vehicles were disabled and set afire to prevent or delay security forces from reaching the disabled heavy vehicles. El Razon reports a total of five individuals have been killed in the fighting and 28 vehicles damaged. Reports also say several roads leading into Morelia, the capital were blocked as well and fighting between Mexican security forces and armed suspect belonging to La Familia continues into Thursday night and Friday morning. Other reports say the blocks have been removed and movement continues as normal. Michoacan officials are mulling imposing a state of emergency in the state to deal with the roadblocks and violence. |
| Posted by:badanov |