SAA event in Mexico on Fri 31st July 2026

A surveillance operation carried out by the Mexican Army in the mountainous region of Cotija, Michoacán, resulted in a confrontation with gunmen from the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), leaving a preliminary toll of three gunmen killed, as well as the seizure of vehicles and high-powered weapons. The events occurred near the community of La Esperanza, on the border between the municipalities of Cotija and Tocumbo. According to official reports, military personnel were conducting patrols when they were ambushed by a group armed with high-powered weapons. In repelling the attack, the Army personnel killed three of the assailants. Reports indicate that these gunmen are the same ones who appeared in a video manning a roadblock at one of the entrances to Cotija. At the site of the armed clash, federal forces seized the following items: 3 AK-47 assault rifles 3 pickup trucks allegedly used by the criminal cell During the deployment, tire-puncturing devices were found scattered along the highway connecting Cotija with the towns of Emiliano Zapata and San Francisco, placed to obstruct the passage of official vehicles. Following the incident, the Army reinforced its presence in the area with ground patrols and reconnaissance flights to locate other members of the armed group who managed to escape. To date, authorities have not reported any casualties or injured military personnel, and the identities of the deceased remain undisclosed while the corresponding investigations are underway.