Celaya.— Armed groups set fire to several houses of alleged members of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel (CSRL). In addition, they collided with elements of the state’s public security forces (FSPE), with a balance of five civilian casualties and roads blocked. All in the morning and Sunday afternoon, in the municipalities of Celaya and Juventino Rosas.
In the community of San José de Manantiales, in Juventino Rosas, five men were murdered and allegedly chased by state police from the Celaya-Juventino Rosas highway, near the Franco Tavera community, where the confrontation began.
In the deceased’s vehicle, Guanajuato security elements found weapons and maps with messages from a criminal group.
After the confrontation, the gunmen set fire to a double trailer, blocking lanes from both directions on the highway; they set fire to a Kia car at the entrance to the Pelavacas community and a white truck. Burning of tires and flat tire equipment have also been reported on the adjacent highways of Celaya and Juventino.
Day of violence
Arson started shortly before 5:00 am in a mechanical workshop, a party hall and two houses in the community of San José de Guanajuato, in Celaya, adjacent to the community of Santa Rosa de Lima (Villagrán), which is the domain of the CSRL leader, José Antonio Yépez Ortiz El Marro, where residents said they owned some farms that had been burned down. The fire consumed two tractors and at least three compact vehicles.
Civil defense and firefighters from Celaya reported receiving several reports, two in San José de Guanajuato and one further north on the road to Villas de Elguera. “In it, several vehicles were found on fire in a workshop [mecánico], a cab and two tractors ”, without injuries.
Firefighters attended four fires in the early morning. Photo: SPECIAL.
One of the properties affected had warehouses, four swimming pools and a playground. It is believed to be one of the houses protected by the prosecution service in 2019, following Operation Golpe de Timón, to enter Santa Rosa de Lima in search of El Marro and other members of the CSRL.
Witnesses told security elements that a commando fired at the farms around 3:00 am Sunday and saw them burning minutes later.
FSPE and National Guard agents carried out an operation on the roads of Villagrán, Juventino Rosas and Celaya. During these actions they encountered armed groups and clashes broke out.
Until last night, the Guanajuato authorities had not given their account of the events.