In Tense Mexico States, Vigilantes Refuse to Drop Their Guns Leticia Pineda - Agence France-Presse
go to original May 22, 2013

People all over Mexico say the police are failing to come to grips with the country's crime problem. many of these people have banded together to take the law into their own hands. (Deutsche Welle)

COALCOMAN - Farmers wearing bulletproof jackets and toting assault rifles ride in pick-up trucks emblazoned with the word "self-defense" to protect this rural western Mexico town from the Knights Templar drug cartel.

The federal government deployed thousands of troops to the state of Michoacan this week, but in some towns like Coalcoman, population 10,000, vigilantes are refusing to put down their weapons until they feel safe again.

"We won't drop our guard until we see results," Antonio Rodriguez, a 37-year-old avocado grower and member of the community force, told AFP.

Last week, Coalcoman residents packed the main square to give their support to the 200-strong vigilante patrol, making it the latest Michoacan town to take up arms in recent months to fight off the extorsion and violence perpetrated by gangsters.

The town lies in a region called Tierra Caliente, or Hot Land, known as a hotbed of cartel activity.

The vigilantes carry handguns and hunting rifles, but a few were seen Wednesday roaming around with AR-15 semi-automatic rifles. In other towns many wear masks to protect their identities.

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