Zacatecas: Mayo Hitmen Torture and Hang Man Near School & 7 CJNG Hitmen Arrested

On Tuesday, March 27, 2023, the emergency phone line received a call which reported the discovery of a man found hanging from a tree, in Ojocaliente, Zacatecas.

At around 7:00 am, police officers arrived at the reported location and found a narco message alongside the body, making clear it was not a simple case of suicide. 

The body was hung from a tree near Cervantes Corona Avenue, close to a local high school where students were arriving for class. Anonymous México reports that the dead body was in full view of the students. 

The body was said to show “obvious signs of torture”, according to Acceso Zac. Next to it, a white narco message banner was strung up with yellow rope below a metal sign. It read as follows: 

We are not low-life thugs. We do not kill women. Here, we are 100% Sinaloa Cartel.

And if you name the date, we’ll meet up with you [to battle] wherever. We have shown we will do this throughout the state of Zacatecas.

Keep your own people in line, because they’re getting out of hand. We don’t kill innocent people, much less women.

And we already have a list of all of the pigs that support the swine from the different cartel groups. We don’t have an alliance with any cartel and here it is 100% Sinaloa Cartel.

The one who screws us over, will be repaid in kind. So hold on, your day of reckoning is coming soon, you swine bastards.

And let it be clear that this is not just a threat. He who warns you ahead of time, isn’t a traitor.

To all those who support the other cartel groups, we know who you are. To the people [locals], we are at your service. 

Sinaloa Cartel

Operative MZ

It’s interesting to note that the narco message doesn’t give any indication as to why the man was killed. 

The self-defeating nature of claiming to serve the people and leave the innocent unharmed, while also leaving a dead man hanging in full view of a school, may have been lost on the writer of said message.

7 CJNG Hitmen Arrested, Attempts to Free Them From Custody 

Later that same day, in the nearby municipality of Guadalupe, another incident occurred, this time involving the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). 

A state police press release states it all began while state police were carrying out “various operational actions derived from intelligence work,” which led to cartel hitmen shooting at them. 

This led to officers returning fire. After both sides exchanged gunfire, the hitmen jumped into their vehicles, speeding away from the area. Officers pursued after them in their own vehicles. 

The hitmen were said to have created roadblocks as they fled. Those roadblocks were covered in this previous Borderland Beat post. 

The initial incident allegedly took place in the towns of Tacoaleche and Zóquite, located in Guadalupe municipality, and ended in Pánfilo Natera. 

The local news company NTR Zacatecas adds that at 4:00 pm, hitmen were seen stealing cars in Noria de Ángeles, shown on map below. 

According to NTR, locals heard vehicles speeding by and the sound of gunfire. Then two armored vehicles were spotted driving past the towns cemetery, followed closely behind by police patrol cars. 

Hitmen were said to have commandeered a school bus in the area of Villa Hidalgo, which they used to block a roadway into La Honda, setting it ablaze. 

A truck in Loreto was also commandeered and set ablaze on a roadway soon after. The series of shootings and chases were said to have lasted for two hours.

Eventually, seven hitmen in a vehicle was stopped and forced to surrender. Three firearms, ammo, vests and tactical pants were seized from their possession. 

The press release also adds that 300 “doses” of marijuana was found in their possession. 

Five of the seven detainees were reportedly from Jalisco, which has led many to conclude that they were CJNG affiliated. 

At 7:25pm, police announced that roadblocks had been cleared. Astate police spokesperson stated that the hitmen “did not achieve their objective of isolating the area and preventing the action of the Security Forces.”

Mayo Hitmen, Ojocaliente Sources:  NTR Zacatecas, Debate, Acceso Zac, Anonymous México, Noticiero El Circo, Zacatecas Online

CJNG Hitmen, Villanueva Sources: State Police Tweet, State Police Press Release, El Sol de Zacatecas, Noticiero El Circo, Zacatecas Online Article 1, Article 2, El Heraldo de México, Express Zacatecas Article 1, Article 2, Article 3, NTR Zacatecas