Overview
- Eleven Ecuandureo officers, whose case was resolved March 18, received conditional release for six months with weekly check-ins, set residence, a ban on drug use, and community service.
- State prosecutors say they are still reviewing seized phones from the Ecuandureo group, after reports of CJNG insignias and chats suggesting lookouts for criminal groups.
- Five Chavinda officials were detained March 19, with authorities reporting seizures of rifles, a pistol, ammunition, suspected cocaine, a municipal vehicle, and tactical gear marked with CJNG.
- Relatives of the Chavinda detainees have occupied local government offices, argue the charges are fabricated, and call for a transparent, on-site investigation.
- Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla says the actions stem from a broader review of municipal forces in western Michoacán following the February 22 blockades linked to the pursuit of CJNG leader “El Mencho”.