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The Guardian World1 min read
Drug gang attacks ‘force hundreds of Indigenous families to flee’ in Mexico
TL;DR
Hundreds of Indigenous families in central Mexico have fled their homes due to violent attacks by the Los Ardillos gang, including drone bombings. The National Indigenous Congress reported that between 800 to 1,000 families were displaced after intense violence last week.
Key points
- Hundreds of Indigenous families forced to flee in central Mexico
- Attacks by the Los Ardillos gang intensified last week
- Drone bombings and gunfire reported in Guerrero state
- National Indigenous Congress estimates 800 to 1,000 families displaced
- At least four people killed during the attacks
Mentioned in this story
Los ArdillosNational Indigenous CongressGuerrero
Hundreds of Indigenous families have been forced to flee their homes in the mountains of central Mexico by intense attacks from a local criminal group, including drone bombings, an Indigenous rights organisation said on Monday.
A gang known as Los Ardillos has been carrying out attacks in Guerrero state for years, but they started to intensify last week. Villages were subjected to eight hours of bombings on Saturday, the National Indigenous Congress said, forcing between 800 to 1,000 families to flee to other towns.
“There is total anguish among the people,” said Carlos González García, a spokesperson for the congress, adding that at least four people had been killed. “The families are terrified, especially the women and children. It’s a level of violence that we’re not used to.”
Videos shared on social media showed women and children sobbing as they cowered inside a local church. In other footage, intense gunfire and explosions can be heard echoing across farmland and forests as smoke rises in the background.
“They were attacking us with drones and with .50 high calibre weapons, that’s why I left and took my twin sons with me,” a woman said in a Facebook video posted by another Indigenous rights group. “They killed the animals and now they’re setting fire to the hillsides.”
A video shared with the Guardian from the village of Alcozacán showed gunfire and explosions continuing on Monday morning.
The use of bomb-carrying drones and other powerful and sophisticated weaponry by Mexico’s drug cartels has become increasingly common. As violence has intensified, many poor and rural communities have been forced to flee their homes and seek safety elsewhere.
A recent study from Mexico’s Ibero University found that the number of people forcibly displaced by violence more than doubled between 2023 and 2024, from 12,600 to 28,900. There were nearly 400,000 displaced people in Mexico as of the end of 2024, according to the .
Q&A
What triggered the mass displacement of Indigenous families in Mexico?
The mass displacement was triggered by intense attacks from the Los Ardillos gang, including drone bombings and gunfire.
How many families have been forced to flee due to the violence in Guerrero state?
Between 800 to 1,000 families have been forced to flee their homes in Guerrero state due to the violence.
What has been the response from Indigenous rights organizations regarding the attacks?
Indigenous rights organizations have reported total anguish among the affected communities and highlighted the severe level of violence experienced.
