HomeNewsBriefMexico's Vigilante Movement Reaching Breaking Point
BRIEF

Mexico's Vigilante Movement Reaching Breaking Point

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR / 17 MAR 2014 BY MARGUERITE CAWLEY EN

The arrest of a top vigilante leader in Michoacan has sparked tensions between the self-defense movement and Mexico's government, and internal disputes and alleged criminal infiltration are causing growing concern over the government's decision to try and legitimize the militias. 

In a video published on YouTube (see below), Jose Manuel Mireles Valverde, a prominent self-defense movement leader in Michoacan, said the government's "repression" of the vigilantes showed they were "exercising their power for different ends than they had reason to."

Mireles' comments were sparked by the March 11 arrest of Hipolito Mora, the head of the vigilantes in the town of La Ruana, who was accused of murdering a local farmer and a rival vigilante member who formerly belonged to the group's enemies in the Knights Templar.

SEE ALSO: Mexico News and Profiles

"A week ago, the commissioner sat down with Hipolito, and he didn't know anything about any accusations. Three days later, Hipolito is a criminal. How sad," said Mireles.

Mora is also being investigated on 35 other charges. Various locals have also accused his group of robbing their lands on the pretext they were Knights Templar members, reported El Universal.

Nonetheless, the vigilante spokesman said they did not wish to break ties with the government.

InSight Crime Analysis

The self-defense movement appears to have reached a critical moment. Mora's arrest comes amid escalating tensions among the leadership and growing concern about the shady connections of senior figures in the militias.

Even before Mora's arrest, he had been driven out of La Ruana in an armed confrontation with a militia led by a rival, Luis Antonio Torres, alias "El Americano," with both sides launching accusations against each other of involvement with the Knights Templar.

The situation has been further complicated by investigations into the pasts of the vigilantes. Reforma reported how various leaders have a criminal history: Mireles has a criminal record for trafficking marijuana; El Americano is accused of running a cartel known as "H3" in Buenavista; and another leader, Juan Jose Farias Alvarez, is believed to be a leader of the Milenio Cartel.

SEE ALSO: Coverage of Mexico Vigilantes

Not for the first time, the vigilantes have now placed Mexico's government in a bind. Less than two months ago, authorities created a legal framework giving the self-defense groups a measure of legitimacy. The government now has to decide whether to continue backing groups accused of criminal ties and murder, while the militias themselves may break off ties if more leaders are arrested.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

JALISCO CARTEL / 3 SEP 2021

Criminal groups in Mexico are posting in public lists of police they plan to kill, and the message often comes…

MEXICO / 25 MAY 2021

The Cárteles Unidos was formed by the Cartel de Tepalcatepec, the Viagras, and others, to combat the Jalisco Cartel in…

HUMAN TRAFFICKING / 5 AUG 2022

Human trafficking appears on the rise in Mexico, with the government struggling to find a strategy forward.

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…