Five Mexican police officers were shot dead and five others wounded Wednesday in Michoacan state. The ambush occurred in Nahuatzen on the eve of the World Cup opener in Mexico City. Local authorities report unknown assailants attacked the officers' vehicle in an Indigenous region plagued by cartel activity.
The Morelia Police Department identified the slain officers as Porfirio Rodriguez Briseno, Brandon Josue Zamora Torres, Francisco Javier Otero Damas, Jonatan Mondragon Servin, and Mateo Valdez Abarca. Former police chief Jose Pablo Alarcon Olemdo demanded justice, calling for the full weight of the law against those responsible.
Nahuatzen is a stronghold for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel. This attack follows the May murder of a local mayor that sparked protests over state security failures. Michoacan’s capital, Morelia, sits approximately 300 kilometers from both Mexico City and Guadalajara.
Mexican officials maintain there is no security threat to World Cup fans. However, the U.S. State Department issued specific travel advisories for each Mexican state due to varying regional risks. Security concerns persist following the February death of cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, which triggered a violent power struggle resulting in over 70 deaths.
State security forces are currently searching for the perpetrators of Wednesday's deadly ambush.