Ejido members of Guajes de Ayala, in the municipality of Coyuca de Catalán, in the Guerrero mountains, reported that the criminal organization La Familia Michoacana intends to enter their territory to produce fentanyl.
The ejido’s representatives warned on October 15 of the presence of heavily armed civilians aboard 12 trucks bearing FM (La Familia Michoacana) insignia and the following day confirmed that they repelled an armed attack, successfully driving back the invaders.
This Monday, October 19, the Guajes de Ayala ejido commissioner, Javier Hernández Peñaloza, stated that the criminal group’s intention, starting in 2021, is to expand into the mountains to establish laboratories for the production of synthetic drugs.
“They want to completely take over the Sierra de Coyuca de Catalán to set up laboratories for the production of methamphetamines and the finalization of fentanyl.”
He recalled that as ejidatarios and mountaineers, they have not disrespected a town or city under the control of brothers José Alfredo and Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga, leaders of the Familia Michoacana.
Therefore, the ejido leader said, there is no real reason for the confrontation.
“The only motive is to displace us from our territory to set up laboratories in the mountains for the production of fentanyl. That is the only goal, and know that we are prepared to defend ourselves until the last moment.”
He clarified that he is not calling for an armed rebellion, but that they will not allow what they consider home to be taken away from them.
“The Sierra is our home, where we were born, our heritage, our land. We cannot allow them to displace us to commit these atrocities.”
He called on the federal government of Claudia Sheinbaum to pay attention to the case.
He warned that he would not like to call on the federal government when there are already families massacred, homes destroyed, and displaced people.
In a statement this afternoon, the ejido warned that several trucks with armed civilians had gathered in the town of Mesa de Corrales and regrouped with the intention of attacking the towns belonging to the Guajes de Ayala Ejido.
“The intervention of the Sedena (Ministry of National Defense) and the National Guard is necessary, with patrols to deter them; otherwise, they will generate attacks or confrontations at any moment,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, the Guerrero government, led by Morena party member Evelyn Salgado, has assured, through Undersecretary of Government Francisco Rodríguez Cisneros, that the ejido’s residents have not officially reported anything.
And that there is already a presence of Army and National Guard personnel in the aforementioned ejido.
Last April, the United States Department of Justice offered an $8 million reward for the leaders of La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM), a drug cartel based in the State of Mexico and parts of Michoacán and Guerrero.
It has also been designated by the Donald Trump administration as a foreign terrorist organization.
Source: proceso
