More than six years after the initial push into Michoacan, new president Enrique Pena Nieto has mobilized 6,000 troops backed by armored vehicles and helicopters and led by a veteran special forces commander. On Monday, 200 armed vigilantes protested outside government buildings in the municipality of Los Reyes. A second armed group then arrived and fired on the crowd, killing five. The next morning, the Knights Templar (a drug gang) unleashed its attacks.
Tuesday night as gunmen hidden in hillsides and armed with rifles and grenades carried out six coordinated attacks on the military and police in at least three villages in the state of Michoacan. Roads were blocked by burning trucks. An unconfirmed Colima Noticias newspaper report stated a government helicopter was also forced to make a hard landing.
A military convoy was ambushed on Wednesday. The gunmen were allegedly from the Knights Templar. Mexico’s interior ministry claims the armed forces had killed 20 gunmen by the time the fighting ended. Two police officers died. Police in the state have had leave cancelled over the weekend, and the federal government has deployed at least 2,000 more police as reinforcements.
Elsewhere in Tamaulipas, gunmen allegedly from the Gulf Cartel attacked communal farms and forced out the residents at gunpoint. Mexican media reports stated at least 10 people were killed but did not make it clear whether these killings targeted farmers or resulted from clashes between the gunmen and the military.
Let there be no doubt about it. Mexico is at war with itself. The cartels have adopted guerrilla warfare tactics in its fight against the Mexican state. The Mexican state is almost so corrupt that it finds itself fighting itself sometimes. because of that, armed militias are sprouting up everywhere fighting not only the cartels but also the government. Time and again, government officials be they local, state or federal are found to be in collusion with the cartels. This has created a barrier between the people and their government. This is somewhat reminiscent of Colombia back in the day,though Colombia still battles FARC and others.
Most Americans are still very unaware of what is going on south of the border. They have no idea that the drug war has gotten to this point. The only good news to come out of there lately is the capture of two major drug cartel heads, but they will be replaced by others so while their capture are small victories, they are meaningless really. Perpetually after the next guy who takes the post. The drug war grinds on.. -Mort
http://beforeitsnews.com/war-and-conflict/2013/07/mexicos-drug-war-just-exploded-2447540.html