By “El Huaso” for Borderland Beat

A video shows part of a column of armed gunmen in trucks travelling through the small community of Oxtotitlán in the municipality of Teloloapan, in northern Guerrero. Hours after, a shootout was reported in the nearby town of Tlatzala.

According to API Guerreroa Guerrero news web site, the convoy is of La Familia Michoacána sicarios on their way to the region around Nuevo Balsas, a stronghold of rival criminal group Los Tlacos.

The 27 second video shows a portion of the convoy, which totaled around 300 armed men according to API Guerrero. The recording, from window of a home, shows 8 pickup trucks , the beds of several packed with uniformed gunmen, drive slowly through the dark streets of Oxtotitlán. 

The video was recorded after dark on April 16, 2023, but was posted the following night with a caption claiming the convoy had read reached Apatzla, a small town 8 kilometers (5 miles) south. 

API Guerrero reported that a shootout began in Apatlza around 6:00 p.m. on April 17th. 

Los Tlacos, also known as the Cartel de la Sierra, is a violent, regional criminal group which operates primarily in the state of Guerrero, in southwest Mexico. They are embedded in the local extortion markets, especially in food staples. 

You can follow me on Twitter @HuasoBB

I tweet about organized crime in Latin America and security in Mexico.