Car Bomb Blast Outside Michoacán Police Station Leaves Five Dead
No details have been released by the authorities on who might be behind the bombing in Coahuayana, but investigations are ongoing.
The state prosecutor's office raised the initial toll from three fatal victims to five, adding that three of them were local police officers. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
Mexican authorities say that five people have been killed and three others injured after a car exploded outside the police station in the violence-stricken state of Michoacán. The deadly incident occurred late Saturday morning in Coahuayana, a coastal city that increasingly finds itself caught in the crossfire of powerful criminal groups.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the explosion occurred shortly before noon local time near the entrance of the city’s police headquarters. Since then, federal investigators have taken over the case, with the blast bearing the hallmarks of attacks that have been linked to organized crime networks operating in the region. Authorities said the death toll – initially reported as three – rose to five after two additional victims succumbed to their injuries. Among the dead were three local police officers who were near the blast site.
Michoacán has long been a battleground for rival drug cartels, and the area around Coahuayana is no exception. Groups like the New Michoacan Family and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel actively vie for control. Both organizations have been classified by the United States as foreign terrorist groups due to their extensive criminal operations and extreme violence.
The car bomb attack came amidst heightened tensions in the state after the recent murder of Uruapan mayor Carlos Manzo. The 40-year-old political figure gained prominence for his reputation as being hard on organized crime; hence, he had been a target in an area where government officials usually suffer threats from cartels. His murder sparked two days of fierce youth-led protests in November, during which government buildings were stormed and demonstrators clashed with security forces. The violence injured over 100 people and reflected the insecurity that still reigns in that part of the world.
While violence linked to drug cartels is a common occurrence in Mexico, car bombs are relatively uncommon. Nevertheless, Saturday’s attack follows another blast in the state of Guanajuato last October, which injured three people. Security analysts continue to warn that the use of such tactics could suggest a cartel war escalation, with implications for the safety both of law enforcement officers and civilians. No details have been released by the authorities on who might be behind the bombing in Coahuayana, but investigations are ongoing. Authorities have promised to increase security and find those responsible for the attack, amid residents dealing with yet another reminder of the deteriorating insecurity across parts of Mexico.
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