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Photos: Fed up with violence and corruption, Mexicans form vigilante groups

Updated On Mar 08, 2018 09:31 AM IST

Fed up with police corruption and drug gang violence, a number of communities in the southern Mexico state of Guerrero and neighboring areas have formed citizen police groups. These vigilante outfits with no allegiance and often outright hostility to elected authorities are grassroots attempts by locals to rein in lawlessness in some of the area’s most wracked by killings, kidnappings, extortion and other malfeasance.

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A “community police” vigilante, Rene Zeferino rides in the back of a truck as his unit patrols the streets of Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero state, Mexico. Fed up with police corruption and drug gang violence, a number of communities in this southern Mexico state and neighboring areas have formed citizen police groups. The state saw 2,318 homicides last year as criminal gangs battled for territory or killed to intimidate victims. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

Updated on Mar 08, 2018 09:31 AM IST

A “community police” vigilante, Rene Zeferino rides in the back of a truck as his unit patrols the streets of Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero state, Mexico. Fed up with police corruption and drug gang violence, a number of communities in this southern Mexico state and neighboring areas have formed citizen police groups. The state saw 2,318 homicides last year as criminal gangs battled for territory or killed to intimidate victims. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

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A vigilante sits guard with his rifle and radio outside a base in Mexico. Effectively vigilante outfits with no allegiance, and often outright hostility to elected authorities, these are grassroots attempts by locals to rein in lawlessness in some of the areas most wracked by killings, kidnappings, extortion and other malfeasance. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

Updated on Mar 08, 2018 09:31 AM IST

A vigilante sits guard with his rifle and radio outside a base in Mexico. Effectively vigilante outfits with no allegiance, and often outright hostility to elected authorities, these are grassroots attempts by locals to rein in lawlessness in some of the areas most wracked by killings, kidnappings, extortion and other malfeasance. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

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Patrolling on foot or in the back of a pickup truck, they are often armed with just rifles — a far cry from the high-caliber weapons used by Mexico’s drug cartels, police and military. Southern Mexico has been rife with cartel activity since the 90s with the Valencia Cartel allied with “El Chapo” Guzman, the Los Zetas, La Familia Michoacana and Knights Templars using it for drug activity. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

Updated on Mar 08, 2018 09:31 AM IST

Patrolling on foot or in the back of a pickup truck, they are often armed with just rifles — a far cry from the high-caliber weapons used by Mexico’s drug cartels, police and military. Southern Mexico has been rife with cartel activity since the 90s with the Valencia Cartel allied with “El Chapo” Guzman, the Los Zetas, La Familia Michoacana and Knights Templars using it for drug activity. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

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For these citizen cops, being on duty can mean manning an impromptu roadblock to search vehicles for contraband, monitoring bars for nefarious activities or watching over rudimentary police stations complete with jail cells. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

Updated on Mar 08, 2018 09:31 AM IST

For these citizen cops, being on duty can mean manning an impromptu roadblock to search vehicles for contraband, monitoring bars for nefarious activities or watching over rudimentary police stations complete with jail cells. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

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A prisoner cries as he is interrogated about his alleged crimes of kidnapping and robbery. Having suffered from decades of violence by drug lords and cartels, these ‘Autodefensas’ have taken upon themselves to bring justice to the oppressed. On Tuesday, another vigilante group in Michoacan returned houses to the original and rightful owners of 35 families that criminals had taken over at gunpoint. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

Updated on Mar 08, 2018 09:31 AM IST

A prisoner cries as he is interrogated about his alleged crimes of kidnapping and robbery. Having suffered from decades of violence by drug lords and cartels, these ‘Autodefensas’ have taken upon themselves to bring justice to the oppressed. On Tuesday, another vigilante group in Michoacan returned houses to the original and rightful owners of 35 families that criminals had taken over at gunpoint. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

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A baby peers up from her stroller at an armed “community police” officer in Xaltianguis. A majority of Mexicans believe self-defence is the best way to protect their community and see nothing wrong in vigilante justice, but going out in war against cartels with sophisticated armaments often results in bloody affairs with both civilians and community police left tallying casualties. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

Updated on Mar 08, 2018 09:31 AM IST

A baby peers up from her stroller at an armed “community police” officer in Xaltianguis. A majority of Mexicans believe self-defence is the best way to protect their community and see nothing wrong in vigilante justice, but going out in war against cartels with sophisticated armaments often results in bloody affairs with both civilians and community police left tallying casualties. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

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Vigilantism can be a deadly job. Crosses mark the spot where four members of a vigilante force died when their car was ambushed and burned near Rincon de la Via. And civilians die at the vigilantes’ hands as well. Alexis Estrada Asencio, a 17-year-old bull-riding enthusiast, and five others were killed in La Concepcion caught in a confused gunfight between vigilante forces and townsfolk over a proposed hydro-electric dam. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

Updated on Mar 08, 2018 09:31 AM IST

Vigilantism can be a deadly job. Crosses mark the spot where four members of a vigilante force died when their car was ambushed and burned near Rincon de la Via. And civilians die at the vigilantes’ hands as well. Alexis Estrada Asencio, a 17-year-old bull-riding enthusiast, and five others were killed in La Concepcion caught in a confused gunfight between vigilante forces and townsfolk over a proposed hydro-electric dam. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

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Maribel Julio Meneses weeps over the body of her son Daniel Julio Julio, a 22-year-old member of one militia, killed on duty in an ambush. Organised crime groups have tried to co-opt and divide them, resulting in instances in which the local ‘citizen police’ have opened fire on each other as well. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

Updated on Mar 08, 2018 09:31 AM IST

Maribel Julio Meneses weeps over the body of her son Daniel Julio Julio, a 22-year-old member of one militia, killed on duty in an ambush. Organised crime groups have tried to co-opt and divide them, resulting in instances in which the local ‘citizen police’ have opened fire on each other as well. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

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Family members of the six civilians who were killed in La Concepcion group ride home carrying photographs of their loved ones, from meeting with reporters at the town council building where they say their relatives were killed. Some residents say the “community police” groups attack elected officials who don’t agree with them. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

Updated on Mar 08, 2018 09:31 AM IST

Family members of the six civilians who were killed in La Concepcion group ride home carrying photographs of their loved ones, from meeting with reporters at the town council building where they say their relatives were killed. Some residents say the “community police” groups attack elected officials who don’t agree with them. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

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Children walk past an officer at a vigilante force’s base in Ayutla de los Libres. While Mexico’s current situation can be compared with that of Columbia’s in 1980’s and 90’s , with similarities in locals taking it upon themselves to seek justice, the formation of these groups has only deepened the crisis in Mexico causing disruption in law and order and feeding a cycle of violence. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

Updated on Mar 08, 2018 09:31 AM IST

Children walk past an officer at a vigilante force’s base in Ayutla de los Libres. While Mexico’s current situation can be compared with that of Columbia’s in 1980’s and 90’s , with similarities in locals taking it upon themselves to seek justice, the formation of these groups has only deepened the crisis in Mexico causing disruption in law and order and feeding a cycle of violence. (Rebecca Blackwell / AP)

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