Death toll rises to 5 after explosion outside a police station in Mexico’s Michoacán state

MEXICO CITY AP The number of casualties killed in an explosion outside a police station in the western Mexican state of Michoac n over the weekend has risen to five the Attorney General s Office declared Sunday Five others remained hospitalized following Saturday s explosion according to the office The blast happened at midday in the center of the town of Coahuayana on the coast of Michoac n a state where numerous criminal groups operate including the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel It s also where the establishment in recent months launched a major prevention operation given the ongoing violence The state prosecutor s office disclosed the car that exploded was a pickup truck and that the remains of two people were identified at the scene It added that eight people were injured and taken to hospitals all members of the locality police force three of whom died while receiving medicinal attention One of the people who died at the scene was the driver of the truck that exploded functionaries have noted The use of explosives dropped from drones buried like mines or hidden along roads has been an increasingly common technique used by criminal groups in the region although it is not typical for them to be placed in cars According to H ctor Zepeda commander of the group police the explosion was so powerful that human remains were scattered throughout the area The police force is one of several that formed more than a decade ago during a civilian self-defense movement to fight the cartels The society police forces were later formalized by the state although in selected areas they had been infiltrated by criminals The explosion happened while the state governor Alfredo Ram rez Bedolla was participating in a constituents event with President Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico City to celebrate seven years of executive by the ruling Morena party For two decades various organized crime groups have fought for control of the territory because Michoac n is a gateway for chemical precursors used in the manufacture of synthetic drugs They also have another lucrative business extortion At least three of the six drug cartels that the Trump administration has designated as terrorist organizations Jalisco New Generation United Cartels and The New Michoacan Family operate in Michoac n in addition to a slew of homegrown armed splinter groups specific supported by the Sinaloa Cartel Source