The Mexican drug war is a low-intensity conflict which began in 2006. Michoacán, in western Mexico, is badly affected by the conflict. Several massacres have occurred there, including a mass shooting on 27 February 2022 in San José de Gracia.[2] Rival gangs in the area are also involved in smuggling of gasoline and in illegal tapping of pipelines.[1]
Incident
During the evening of 27 March 2022, gunmen armed with machine guns and assault rifles[3] opened fire at an illegal cockfighting pit and shot dead 17 men and three women. Several other people were wounded.[4][5] One person later died on their way to the hospital.[3] The massacre was believed to be part of a conflict between the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and a local gang called the Familia Michoacana.[6]
Aftermath
On 1 April 2022, five men were arrested in Susupuato in connection with the massacre. They were also linked to a February 2022 attack on a prosecutor's office in Maravatío.[7]
