Death toll rises to 10 after more attacks on federal police in Michoacán

Translated by Brian Schwarz

Originally published Thursday, December 10, 2009 in "La Jornada" (jornada.unam.mex) under the heading Suben a 10 muertos tras dos ataques más contra la PF en Michoacán by Ernesto Martínez Elorriaga

MORELIA, MICHOACAN, MEXICO – Following yesterday’s attacks on federal police in Michoacán state two more were reported today in the pre-dawn hours. One attack, in a hotel in the port city of Lázaro Cárdenas, left one civilian dead. The second, in the municipality of Tumbicatío, left one uniformed officer dead and two others wounded.

Also, information officials from the local Secretary of Public Safety reported that Sergio Garcia Rebolledo and José Antonio Aceves Espinoza, the two police officers who were shot and wounded in yesterday’s attack in Apatzingán have died.

Around the 3 a.m. today an armed squad attacked facilities at the Sol del Pacifico hotel in Lázaro Cárdenas; federal agents housed there were able to rebuff the attack. In the shoot-out, which lasted some 10 minutes, a man identified as Juan Manuel Balderas Hernandez was killed in the crossfire.

In the town of Las Cruces in the municipality of Tumbicatío, a patrol of federal police was also fired on, leaving one officer dead and two wounded.

Counting yesterday’s clashes in Morelia, Apatzingán, Lázaro Cárdenas and Pátzcuaro, and the two today in the port city and Tumbicatío, at total of 10 are dead and a dozen have been wounded.