Alleged Community Guards Lay Siege to Chilapa

At least 300 members of the Mexican Army, Gendarmerie, and State Police are in Chilapa, Guerrero in order to reinforce security.

By: Ezequiel Flores Contreras | Translated by Valor for Borderland Beat

With the support of the Mexican Army, Federal and State Police, a group of armed civilians maintain a city under siege where a hunt unleashed out against Zenén Nava Sánchez, “El Chaparro”, who is the alleged leader of the criminal group “Los Rojos”.

The event shows the vacuum of authority that exists in the city and the level of impunity and the complicity of authorities and politicians with organized crime.

The armed group led by municipal commissioners acts as a “Community Guard” of the towns of El Jagüey, San Ángel, Ayahualulco and Ciloxuchicán, however, official reports report that it is the armed group of another criminal group called “Los Ardillos”, led by the brothers of the president of the Congress, the local PRD representative Bernardo Ortega Jiménez.

Yesterday around 17:30 hours, approximately 300 masked civilians armed with shotguns stormed and took control of the entrances and exits of the municipal capital of Chilapa where the Federal Police Gendarmerie and the Mexican Army took control of the security against the brutal dispute between “Los Rojos” and “Los Ardillos” for this strategic plaza located between the regions Centro and Montaña.

The action caused panic and terror among the public with the risk of a shootout occurring between the criminal groups that operate with impunity in this area collapsed by drug violence.

The “Community Guards” stripped the weapons off of the 40 municipal police and made rounds throughout the municipality in official police vehicles while bearing official weapons, the AR-15 and AR-70 rifles.

This Sunday, Proceso toured throughout the conflict zone and could see the failure of the authorities such as the military, federal, and state, who have merely observed the raids, the disarming of the municipal police, the civilian retention, and the checkpoints that the “Community Guard” have on the boulevard Eucaria Apreza, located along the federal road Chilapa-Tlapa.

The perception of the residents of this city faced with the omissive attitude of the authorities is that with this way, the federal and state governments intend to oust the cell of “Los Rojos” and leave “Los Ardillos” with control of the plaza. “Removing one evil with another evil,” responded a youth, having been asked by the reporter.

“We told the authorities to get the fuck out of here because we are actually going to kill “El Chaparro” and his people,” a “Community Guard” said, adding that he decided to participate in this “war” because sicarios at the service of “Los Rojos” have disappeared five of his relatives.

“With us, kidnappings, assassinations, and extortions carried out by the fucking “Chaparro” have stopped,” a strongly built youth with slanted eyes, dark skin, and a pistol tucked in his waist reported.

The streets in this place where a tense atmosphere breathes are deserted. Artisans, who come every Sunday to the pre-Hispanic flea market of Chilapa, simply did not come, and the closings of commercial establishments are evident.

With more than 24 hours after the armed group linked to “Los Ardillos” took over the municipal capital, the interim governor of Guerrero, Rogelio Ortega Martinez, has not set any official position and remains hidden.

The Director of Public Safety of the municipality of Chilapa, Job Encarnación Cuenca, officially separated from his title. The police of Guerrero will be the ones who will stand in for the Federal Police of Chilapa until an agreement has been made with the armed civilians who have taken siege of this municipality.

Meanwhile the PRI mayor of Chilapa, Francisco García González, publicly pointed out of protecting Zenén Nava, decided to flee the municipality. His current whereabouts are unknown.

Source: Proceso