Jordi Alberto Atanacio Vidal—known as “El Niño” (The Kid)—a 12-year-old and one of the eight residents abducted by the “filth” of La Familia Michoacana on September 24 in the El Balcón ‘ejido’ (communal landholding) in the mountains of Ajuchitlán del Progreso, Guerrero, has been released and returned to his family, community members confirmed.
The abduction of the minor and seven other rural workers took place in the morning while the victims were heading out to perform agricultural and livestock-grazing tasks. The males captured by the armed group include:
Nicolás Atanacio González, 74
Fidel Quirino Atanacio, 54
Domingo Atanacio Quirino, 50
Isidro Brito Arriola, 32
Eulises Medrano López, 26
José Leodanis Medrano López, 24
Everardo León Atanacio, 17
Jordi Alberto Atanacio Vidal “El Niño,” 12 (released)
According to accounts from the *ejidatarios* (communal landowners), the captors—identified as the “filth” belonging to La Familia Michoacana—sent a message to the community via the minor: the remaining seven individuals will be released only if the residents cede control of their lands.
The community source explained that there had been a prior agreement allowing the criminal group to pass through the outskirts of the territory; However, the violent incursion stems from the criminal group’s interest in seizing the *ejido* lands and the strategic mountain route connecting the Tierra Caliente region with the Costa Grande.
After being released by his captors, Jordi Alberto Atanacio Vidal walked for three hours through the mountainous terrain until he encountered a military convoy. On the afternoon of Thursday, October 1, hooded Mexican Army personnel handed the minor—still handcuffed—over to his family in the town of El Balcón.
The case and the demands made by the armed group have been reported to Francisco Rodríguez Cisneros, the state government’s Undersecretary for Political and Social Development. On Friday, October 2, he stated in Acapulco that progress is being made in the investigations, though he declined to provide further details due to the confidential nature of the proceedings.
In light of the situation, *ejido* members called for the immediate intervention of President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo to coordinate the rescue of the seven community members alive.
Responding to the insecurity in the mountains, more than 2,000 residents from the municipalities of Tecpan de Galeana, Petatlán, Coyuca de Catalán, Ajuchitlán del Progreso, Atoyac, and Benito Juárez marched along the Acapulco-Zihuatanejo federal highway on Friday. During a rally in the municipal seat of Tecpan, protesters emphasized that the detained individuals are farmers and ranchers dedicated to agricultural work.
Meanwhile, the Guerrero Secretariat of Public Security reported this Saturday afternoon that State Police, the Mexican Army, and the National Guard are conducting search operations and surveillance patrols along the roads and trails connecting the communities of Las Piñas, Puerto Grande, and La Lajita, as well as in surrounding areas of the Ajuchitlán del Progreso mountains.
