Vigilante groups springing up in drug-crime riddled areas of Guerrero, Mexico

Mexican Cartels’ Kidnapping Tactics

Vigilante forces in Totlapan have kidnapped the mother of “El Tequilero” (Raybel Jacobo de Almonte), leading to the state of Guerrero to dispatch 220 soldiers to attempt to control the situation. The kidnapping was done in reprisal for the kidnapping of family members of the vigilante group whose return was demanded in exchange for Almonte’s mother. The Tequileros have engaged in turf battles with rival gangs in the region and have kidnapped several residents in Totolapan to extort money from their families. Armed with shotguns, the vigilantes identify themselves as a citizen-based self-defense force: “We urgently demand the release of the kidnap victims…We are a legitimate self-defense force of the people.” Guerrero state has dispatched a negotiation team to assist the soldiers in calming the matter in an area rife with violence from drug trafficking, leading to the rise of vigilante groups that are explicitly forbidden by the state government, “The truth is they are not really community forces, nor are they police…They are armed groups that unfortunately carry out acts…that generate more violence and confrontation rather than help,” Governor Hector Astudillo said.

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[The Guardian – Mexican drug leader’s mother kidnapped by vigilante group]
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