Operation in Salvador Escalante leaves two dead and causes at least seven drug blockades in Michoacán, in addition to fires and road closures that reach Guanajuato.
Mexico City, November 17 (However).- The state authorities This Monday they carried out a operational in the region of Salvador Escalante, Michoacanwhere two alleged criminals were slaughtered and were registered at least seven narcoblockades in different parts of the state.
According to local media, the deployment was intended to detain a alleged criminal leader known as “The Chameleon”which caused a confrontation and the closure of various roads within the entity.
As a result of the events, the Secretary of the State Government, Raúl Zepeda Villaseñor, reported that federal and state forces implemented an operation to restore circulation, so elements of the Army, National Guard and Civil Guard remain in the area to provide security while the work derived from the events continues.
They kill two and narcoblockades take place in Michoacán
✍️ Rolando Herrera
Mural 17-Nov-2025
After an operation in the community of La Cantera, Municipality of Salvador Escalante, Michoacán, in which two alleged criminals were killed, at least seven drug blockades were recorded… pic.twitter.com/HpIB3HqkND
— Gustavo Ramon Cortez Garcia (@Gustavuss) November 17, 2025
According to the first reports, the road closures occurred on the Morelia-Quiroga road, in the Quiroga-Comanja section, on the Mexico-Guadalajara highway near Huaniqueo and on the Zamora-La Piedad highway, in the Las Fuentes area, Ecuandureo. In addition to blockades on the Zamora-Ecuandureo highway, in the community of El Sauz; on the Jacona-Jiquilpan road, in Puerto de Lucas; and at kilometer 15 of the Quiroga-Pátzcuaro highway.
For its part, the federal Security Cabinet announced that, as part of the Michoacán Plan, it carried out actions in different municipalities of the state, where 12 people were detained and eight explosive devices, four firearms, more than 800 cartridges, 29 magazines, seven vehicles (two of them with handmade armor), doses of drugs and tactical equipment were seized.
“Supervision patrols were also carried out in the lemon orchards to protect the activities of the producers,” the agency indicated.
🔴🚨Blockades in Michoacán. After an operation to arrest “El Camaleón” in Salvador Escalante, blockades and burning vehicles were recorded on several roads: Morelia–Quiroga, Quiroga–Pátzcuaro, Zamora–Ecuandureo, México–Guadalajara, Chavinda–Jiquilpan and La Piedad–Gdl. pic.twitter.com/eDmCL0cNCS
— @ElOjoDeLaGN (@ElOjoDeLaGN) November 17, 2025
What does the Michoacán Plan consist of?
The Michoacán Plan, as explained by the Secretary of National Defense, Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, considers the operation of Army units to prevent narcoblockades, through a specific function according to the area, crime group and type of crime.
“Some units will be dedicated to combating extortion, others to generate technical investigation and arrest warrants, others to prevent drug trafficking, the destruction of synthetic drug laboratories, the destruction of drug plantations, to avoid confrontations between criminal groups and, in due course, apply an anti-blockade plan,” explained the head of Sedena.
Likewise, the Secretary of the State Government, Raúl Zepeda Villaseñor, indicated that the new head of the Ministry of Public Security, José Antonio Cruz Medina, was presented this Monday before the corporation as part of the institutional strengthening of the Michoacán Plan.
Michoacán in crisis right now. Vehicles are being burnt along highways. pic.twitter.com/qWvGXFRsDz
— Katarina Szulc (@KatarinaSzulc) November 17, 2025
Violence spreads to Guanajuato
So far, the violence registered in Michoacán has spread to Guanajuato, where authorities reported the fire of two trailers on the Pénjamo-La Piedad highway during the afternoon of Monday.
The first case occurred in the La Peña community, in Pénjamo, where a trailer was set on fire while traveling in the direction of La Piedad, Michoacán, which mobilized emergency forces.
A second fire occurred near the Laguna Larga de Cortés community, where a tractor-trailer was burned; In addition, municipal police prevented another unit from being set on fire after hearing gunshots in the area.
The Mayor of Pénjamo, Yozajambi Molina Balver, reported that Public Security and Firefighters personnel responded to the incidents in coordination with state and federal authorities, with no injuries reported so far.