On March 5th, three farmers met a tragic end when a bomb
hidden along a dirt road in Michoacan, a region heavily influenced by cartels,
exploded. This incident, which occurred in the rural area of Tumbiscatio,
marked the second time in less than a week that concealed explosives resulted
in multiple deaths in the area. An unnamed state security official described
the blast, revealing its devastating impact: the explosion tore the farmers'
truck apart, flipping it and causing severe injuries, including dismemberment.
This grim event is indicative of a troubling trend: the
increasing use of improvised explosive devices by drug cartels vying for
dominance in Michoacan. Just days prior, President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador
confirmed that a similar device had claimed the lives of at least four soldiers
in a suspected cartel trap near Aguililla. The soldiers, while investigating a
camp believed to be used by cartel members, inadvertently triggered an
anti-personnel mine concealed in the underbrush.
Military reports from August underscored the escalation in
attacks involving roadside bombs or improvised explosive devices. In the first
eight months of 2023, 42 individuals, including soldiers, police, and suspects,
were wounded by such devices—a stark increase from the 16 incidents reported
throughout 2022.
This violence is not isolated; last July, a cartel
orchestrated a coordinated series of seven roadway bombings in western Mexico,
resulting in the deaths of four police officers and two civilians. The governor
of Jalisco state condemned these acts as unprecedented and emblematic of the
cartels' ruthlessness.
The situation in Michoacan remains dire, with cartel
violence and intimidation escalating. Recent events, including the targeted
killings of mayoral candidates and the establishment of cartel-controlled
internet services with deadly consequences for non-compliance, highlight the
pervasive influence of criminal organizations in the region.
In response to the escalating violence, the Mexican
government deployed 1,200 troops to Michoacan last August. However, the
persistent threat prompted the U.S. State Department to caution against travel
to Michoacan, citing widespread crime and violence, including incidents of
kidnapping targeting U.S. citizens.
