Residents of the Guajes de Ayala *ejido*—located in the mountainous region of the Coyuca de Catalán municipality, Guerrero—have reported the onset of a series of armed attacks against their communities. This violent offensive has resulted in injuries, damaged homes, and the forced displacement of dozens of families.
Given the gravity of the situation, the *ejidatarios* (communal landowners) issued an urgent plea for help this Wednesday morning, directed at the general public and the international community. Videos recorded from inside makeshift shelters show women and children pleading for immediate state intervention.
The families reported that they have been formally requesting the deployment of public security forces for over two weeks in response to the visible advance of criminal cells; however, they noted that the Guerrero state government has ignored their requests. On Sunday, June 14, authorities from the agrarian community had already issued an early warning regarding the movement of a convoy of armed men—belonging to the criminal organization La Nueva Familia Michoacana, led by brothers Johnny and José Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga (known as “El Pez” and “El Fresa”)—toward their villages, requesting in vain that the Mexican Army and National Guard contain the threat.
The Guajes de Ayala *ejido* comprises seven highly marginalized communities. Since mid-October 2025—following an intense clash between the aforementioned criminal organization and local self-defense groups—the area has remained neglected by institutions, completely lacking healthcare personnel and school teachers.
Residents stated that the criminal group’s attacks began around 6:00 a.m. this Wednesday and have escalated in danger due to the alleged use of drones carrying improvised explosive devices. “Our population is living in a state of extreme vulnerability. Attacks involving explosive-laden drones have been recorded, leaving people injured, families displaced, and entire communities living in fear. We want support; bombs are being dropped on our homes—on the children and on us. Do not abandon us,” exclaimed a mother speaking from a health clinic that was being used as a defensive position.
The women added that men from the communities are positioned at the edges of the *ejido*, attempting to repel armed attacks in defense of their property and families, with casualties and injuries reported on the ground. Consequently, they directly demanded that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and State Governor Evelyn Salgado Pineda order the immediate deployment of federal forces before a massacre takes place in the mountain region.
