Violence erupts at a secretive rooster fight in Michoacán, amidst ongoing cartel conflict

Nineteen people were killed when gunmen stormed a covert cockfighting event in western Mexico, according to authorities in Michoacán. The tragic attack took place late on Sunday near the town of Zinapecuaro in the state of Michoacán.

The victims include 16 men and three women, with several others reported to have been injured. Prosecutors indicated that the region has been plagued by violence linked to rival criminal groups.

Michoacán has long been a hotspot for fierce battles between local cartels and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, based in the neighbouring state of Jalisco. The violent confrontations have escalated, with cartel members employing increasingly sophisticated tactics such as bomb-dropping drones, landmines, and homemade armoured vehicles.

Although cockfighting is illegal in many parts of Mexico, it remains a deeply ingrained and secretive tradition in some areas, often taking place away from public view. The fatal attack highlights the pervasive and often brutal influence of organised crime in the region.