Apatzingan

Recently Apatzingán has received media attention because of the strong presence of notorious, powerful and wealthy drug trafficking cartels.^[2] The city is the home to theKnights Templar Cartel, led by Servando Gómez Martínez, known as "La Tuta", originally a teacher in Apatzingán. In October 2013, the cartel carried out a series of attacks on electrics plants and offices of the Comisión Federal de Electricidad, and attacked a protest march organized by community defense groups against the cartels.^[3] The Bishop of Apatzingán, Miguel Patiño, released a letter calling Micocacán a failed state ruled by drug lords, and described the citizens of Apatzigán as living in perpetual fear of the cartels and the related violence, extortion and kidnappings.^[4]