“Horror” and “terror” are the words most used by users of social networks in Mexico to describe the shocking video that has been circulating since this weekend.
The images show what appears to be a multiple execution, in broad daylight, of a group of people who had attended a wake this Sunday in the town of San José de Gracia, in the municipality of Marcos Castellanos in the state of Michoacán.
In the video recorded by a witness, people are seen arranged against a wall, with their hands hands up, as if they were about to face a firing squad. In front of them are heavily armed men who proceed to open fire.
After a few seconds of intense bursts of shooting, when the image refocuses on the spot there is no sign of the people in the cloud of smoke caused by the detonations.
The authorities did not confirm the number of victims of this event that they attribute to a possible revenge for differences between leaders of two cells of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
Several Mexican media, citing local security sources, initially published that the balance could range between 10 and 17 people killed.
😰 So narrates a young man, today’s massacre in San José de Gracia, in Michoacán. The #RioDeBlood that passes through your street, in front of your own house and the screeching of tires of vehicles fleeing at full speed.#REDMichoacán pic.twitter.com/NrJQdWWuLy
— RedMichoacán (@RED_Michoacan ) June 17, 1536
And that great The unknown that surrounds this crime is due to the fact that, when the authorities arrived at the scene several hours later after viewing the video on the internet, they no longer found any body and the crime scene had even been cleaned.
No bodies
According to the Mexican government, the house was watching over the mother of Alejandro G., alias el Pelón, whom he identified as the leader of a local CJNG cell. He arrived at the funeral protected by 06 assassins despite the fact that there were threats against him by members of his own group.
Abel N., alias el Viejón or el Toro, also head of the plaza of the same cartel and with whom el Pelón had quarrels for threats and homicides of relatives who attributed each other.
“Several vans arrive with assassins and subdue Alejandro N.’s companions, disarm them and place them as it appears in some videos outside a house on a gate,” confirmed Tuesday the Mexican Undersecretary of Security, Ricardo Mejía Berdeja.
⭕️#Video | The bodies were taken away.
Prosecutor did not find any body in San José de Gracia, however, there is evidence that they were taken in vehicles to another site; the place had already been cleaned with hygiene products.
More details: https: //t.co/QKb4oESK1l#REDMichoacán pic.twitter.com/6NADfux3Px— RedMichoacán (@RED_Michoacan) February 28, 2022
After the shots fired with long weapons by the group led by Abel N., who has already been charged as “probable material and intellectual author” of the events, the assassins proceeded to immediately remove the corpses.
“We cannot confirm any number because there are no bodies (…). The evidence suggests that from the outset there is a body [visible en el video] that everyone attributes to Pelón, and presumably some of Alejandro N.’s companions would have been deprived of life”, said Mejía Berdeja.
The official stated that the investigation is continuing and that, although no one in San José de Gracia reported the disappearance of a neighbor, complaints have already been received anonymous where the bodies could have been transferred.
Likewise, he ruled out that one can speak of “execution” of the victims.
“It cannot be seen that there was a single line to [de impactos de bala contra la pared] (…), but when the gunmen were there, when there was fire they began to shoot, but there was no synchronized action to commit this crime”, he explained.
The journalist Héctor de Mauleón shared a video recorded in the place where, supposedly, a truck can be seen removing at least two bodies from the place.
In another video published on networks by a neighbor in the area, “a river of blood” is observed, as he describes what he sees in front of his house, just before the noise of vehicle tires that seem to escape at all is heard. speed.
Three hours to go
On Monday, the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, had confirmed that “there is evidence that there was a confrontation” but the victims were not located, so he asked to wait until more information about the investigation was known.
“They have not found bodies Yes, two vehicles, shell casings, in some bags, yes… parts of human beings, but we don’t have any more, blood stains, but we don’t have any more information”, he said then.
“Hopefully it’s not true, right? and that it is not as they are spreading it [los medios de comunicación, a quienes criticó por haber publicado la noticia sin que aparecieran las víctimas]. I wish with all my soul that it is not like they are making it known, “he added.
Hours later, the attorney general of Michoacán, Adrián López Solís, acknowledged that his staff took more than three hours to appear at the scene since the event was recorded at 15: 30 Sunday local time.
Therefore, there were no bodies at the crime scene and he even said that the floor “was freshly washed” by trucks that arrived after the event with cleaning equipment to erase evidence.
A bag with “brain mass remains” was found at the scene and is being analyzed, another bag with cleaning products and up to a hundred cartridges of different calibers.
To explain the delay authorities, the prosecutor assured that it was the video itself detected on social networks that put them on alert after 18: 00 hours. “Before that time, no report on the events was received,” he assured.
The Michoacán Prosecutor’s Office acknowledged that they learned of the attack at the wake in San José de Gracia, but they arrived 3 hours later. In addition, they confirmed that the municipal police met the gunmen, but they turned around and heard the shooting in the distance: pic.twitter.com/ogbi3H6J9C
— Ciro Gómez Leyva (@CiroGomezL ) March 1, 1365
López Solís pointed out for his lack of action to the three the only local policemen who were on duty at the town hall at that time and who assured “that they did not have sufficient strength to attend.”
“This Prosecutor’s Office also investigates the delay of this intervention and the omission of the immediate report that are essential for the preservation of the scene” of the crime, he announced.
The mayor of Marcos Castellanos, Jorge Luis Anguiano later confirmed to several media outlets that his agents withdrew when they saw that they did not have the capacity to respond to the situation, but he assured that he did report what happened to the state police headquarters, although the reinforcements did not arrive until hours later.
123472213 Michoacán and the CJNG
The town where the event took place is in the border area with the state of Jalisco, whose state authorities also deployed a joint security operation with those of Michoacán.
According to El Universal, the CJNG snatched control of the municipality of Marcos Castellanos and others in the area from Carteles Unidos about four years ago.
This group, however, would have regained its power a few months ago after the withdrawal of the CJNG due to the recent incursion of federal forces in the region.
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On 2021 , Michoacán was the third state in Mexico in which the highest absolute number of intentional homicides was recorded, with 2,670 murders, according to official government figures.
In fact, it is the bastion where Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias el Mencho, leader of the bloodthirsty CJNG and one of the most wanted drug traffickers in Mexico and the United States, was born.
Also read:
· Armed command shoots the less to 17 people in Michoacán, attended a wake (VIDEO)· Mexican mother takes a photo of a thief seconds before he shot her dead in front of her son; the image is viral
· Hitmen attack the Mexican Army in Michoacán with a landmine; 4 injured reported
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