1 of 1 Mexican authorities have found charred bodies in a burned pickup truck in the desert of Guerrero, Mexico, and are investigating a fight between rival gangs. — Photo: Centro Minerva Bello/AFP Mexican authorities have found charred bodies in a burned pickup truck in the desert of Guerrero, Mexico, and are investigating a fight between rival gangs. — Photo: Centro Minerva Bello/AFP
The bodies of five people were found charred in a pickup truck in the Mexican state of Gerrero on Friday (5). There could be around 30 victims as there were reports of an attack on a remote inland village last week.
According to the country's State Ministry, the region where the murder took place is disputed by the following criminal groups:
- La Familia Michoacana and
- Los Tlacos.
On Friday, Father Filiberto Velázquez, director of human rights organization Minerva Bello, said a remote inland village was attacked by members of the Michoacan family.
The community is isolated and telecommunications contact with the site was lost following the attacks.
The police were on their way to this village when they found the truck with the charred bodies. The number of victims killed could be higher: according to initial reports of the attack on the village, there were 30 victims, but there is still no data on their condition.
Velázquez said 30 villagers were missing. The community consists of farmers who began arming themselves because the region was not protected by state forces.
The Public Ministry of the state of Guerrero said that no information had been obtained about people injured, missing or deprived of their liberty and therefore it could not be said that there were any other crimes in addition to the alleged murder of the five people burned in the truck.
However, Father Velázquez said six people who survived the attack arrived on foot in the town of Tetela del Río to receive treatment for their gunshot wounds.
The government says it is a confrontation between cartels
Guerrero's government communications director René Posselt ruled out that the case was a direct attack on the community, telling the AP news agency that “everything points to a confrontation between organized crime groups in this area.”
Posselt reported that the State Department and other authorities are investigating the veracity of a video posted on social media on Friday in which alleged members of the Familia Michoacana criminal organization display corpses that allegedly belonged to members of the rival group Los Tlacos.
Velázquez stated that the conflict between Familia Michoacana and Los Tlacos had already forced around 80 residents of the town of Buenavista de los Hurtado to leave the town and move to Tetela del Río.