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The governor of the western Mexican state of Michoacán, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, confirmed on Monday an operation by federal forces that led to an armed confrontation in the municipality of Los Reyes, in which the leader of the Los Reyes Cartel was allegedly killed.
"We confirm that there is an operation, there is a significant deployment in the area, by both the Secretariat of National Defense and our Civil Guard, National Guard, and this operation was carried out in Los Reyes," said Ramírez Bedolla during a press conference.
The confirmation from the state governor came after local media reported on an operation deployed early this Monday, in which Mexican federal forces allegedly killed Luis Enrique Barragán Chávez, alias El Wicho or El R5, the alleged leader of the Los Reyes Cartel.
The governor also confirmed that a confrontation took place during the deployment, but avoided providing a toll of victims or specifying the identities of the people involved.
"Information is yet to be confirmed; it is an operation where there was a confrontation, and we are waiting for the official report that will be provided by the State Attorney General's Office, whose agents are already at the scene" of the events, he added.
Ramírez Bedolla explained that this information was provided by Israel Vega Rodríguez, who is the current head of the Michoacán State Attorney General's Office, and stated that in the state "there is an entire deployment to combat and eradicate extortion in the area of Peribán, Los Reyes, Tingüindín, Tocumbo, and Cotija, the western region of the state, bordering the state of Jalisco."
The United States offered a reward of about three million dollars for information leading to the whereabouts of Luis Enrique Barragán Chávez, as he was wanted for drug trafficking crimes to the neighboring country.
According to Mexican authorities, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and local criminal groups associated with the organization operate on the border of Michoacán and Jalisco.
The Government of Michoacán indicated that it will be the state Attorney General's Office responsible for providing official information once the procedures at the site of the confrontation have concluded.
[Publicidad]