Mexico’s military arrested 37 cartel gunmen and seized a large cache of weapons and ammunition without a single shot fired this week.
The raid took place in the state of Michoacan, where two military groups set up operations near the city of Hidalgo. According to information released by the Mexican Army, the groups worked to track down cartel gunmen and were able to locate their camp near a ranch called “Caracol” or snail. The military forces set up a perimeter and then moved in to the property.
According to the prepared statement by the Mexican military, despite having a large supply of weapons and ammunition, the gunmen tried to run instead of fight.
Authorities arrested 37 gunmen and seized 35 rifles, 3 grenades, a grenade launcher, 170 magazines, and 5,280 rounds of ammunition. They found three hats with the logo “CJNG,” a reference to Cartel Jalisco New Generation, which has been trying to take control of the region from a collection of organizations under the name Carteles Unidos.
While news outlets in Mexico reported that the gunmen were from CJNG, law enforcement sources say they are in fact members of a small organization known as Los Correa under orders from Daniel “El Trigre” Correa — allied with the Familia Michoacana and Carteles Unidos. However, in recent weeks, Los Correa broke away from La Familia and began talks with 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.