2nd Mexican vigilante leader accused of murder as government cracks down in Michoacan state

Published January 08, 2015

Mexican authorities have accused another leader of a vigilante "self-defense" force in a western state of participating in the murder of a rival. It is the second such arrest this month.

The arrests come during a broadening government crackdown on vigilante groups, which took up arms a year ago to fight the Knights Templar drug cartel.

The government envoy to Michoacan state said Monday that the leader of the vigilante group in the town of Yurecuaro had been arrested. Envoy Alfredo Castillo alleged that vigilante leader Enrique Hernandez Salcedo ordered the March 22 killing of Mayor Gustavo Garibay in the nearby town of Tanhuato.

The government had tolerated thousands of vigilantes toting assault rifles, until the March 11 arrest of vigilante leader Hipolito Mora in connection with another homicide.

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