Narco Blockades Reported Across Southern Colima Following Shootout

By "El Huaso" for Borderland Beat

A shootout between security forces and CJNG members near Tecomán resulted in a number of narco blockades, burned vehicles, and shootouts across several municipalities along the south of Colima state.

On Monday morning, Fiscalía General del Estado agents responded to a civilian report and were ambushed by armed men in the town of Caleras in Tecomán. Two Investigative Police officers were injured and attackers were killed. A U.S. citizen with an active arrest warrant in the United States for homicide was also arrested.

Authorities seized a homemade armored vehicle, numerous firearms, grenades, and small doses of narcotics.

Shortly after, narco blockades and tire spikes were reported in several regions of Colima, including Tecomán, Manzanillo, Armería, and Ixtlahuacán. Criminals hijacked and set fire to heavy cargo trucks, disrupting traffic for several hours on the Colima-Manzanillo highway and on the road to Cerro de Ortega.

One of the burning trailers was deliberately placed across train tracks in La Estación, causing a locomotive to collide with the blockade.

Most blockades were removed by later afternoon, but sporadic attacks continued after dark.

The use of narco blockades is a tested criminal tactic intended to disrupt government response and lash out for government security operations threatening high ranking cartel figures. No government sources have connected the events with an operation against CJNG leadership in the region, but the use of this tactic may suggest the presence of a nearby high ranking leader. The most likely figure would be Julio Alberto Castillo Rodríguez, "El Chorro" a CJNG boss operating in Colima state.

Sources: Libreexpresion, Oscar Adrián Twitter, SPPC Colima