Cartel gunmen pulled up to a bar in western Mexico and began shooting into the crowd, killing six — including a suspected cartel figure and several bar employees. Two more victims sustained gunshot injuries.
The shooting took place early Monday in Morelia, Michoacan, when at least two gunmen riding in a white van pulled up to La 25 Cerveceria. The gunmen got out of the vehicle and fired shots into the crowd. Local police responded to the scene and were able to provide first aid to some, but did not clash with the gunmen before they fled. Authorities found more than 50 bullet casings. Michoacan’s top security official, Alejandro Gonzalez Cussi, has initially framed the incident as a cartel dispute.
One of the fatal victims was identified as Juan Rios Rebollo, a cartel operator who claimed to have built his wealth from selling yogurt. At the scene of the shooting, authorities seized Rios’ green Lamborghini, a vehicle he called “Sergeant.” A second murder victim, Oscar David Mendez, was identified as a state police officer and a bodyguard for former Michoacan Governor Silvano Aureoles Conejo.
Michoacan continues to be ground zero for a fierce turf war between Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) and smaller groups collectively called Carteles Unidos which include remnants of La Familia, Los Viagras, and smaller cartels who claim to be self-defense groups. Carteles Unidos receives support from the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the fiercest rivals of the CJNG.
Editor’s Note: Breitbart Texas traveled to the Mexican States of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and other areas to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives and expose the cartels silencing their communities. Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles are published in both English and in their original Spanish. This article was written by Jose Luis Lara, a former leading member who helped start the Self-Defense Movement in Michoacán.
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