Police station targeted: Fatal blast leaves five dead, dozens injured in Mexico

The number of fatalities from the devastating explosion outside a police station in Coahuayana, located in the western Mexican state of Michoacán, has risen to five, the State Attorney General’s Office reported. Twelve additional people were injured in the blast.

The explosion occurred at midday in the town center, an area long plagued by violent disputes among criminal organizations, including the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Michoacán has recently seen an intensified federal security operation in response to the escalating violence, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Authorities confirmed that the explosive device was hidden inside a pickup truck. The remains of two individuals were found at the scene, and officials stated that one of the deceased was the truck’s driver. Three of those killed and five of those injured belonged to a community police force.

The Attorney General’s Office noted that the blast caused extensive damage to nearby buildings and vehicles. According to community police commander Héctor Zepeda, the explosion was so forceful that “human remains were scattered throughout the area.”

Community police forces, including the unit targeted in the incident, originated more than a decade ago from civilian self-defense groups formed to combat cartel violence. These forces were later formalized by the state, though in some regions they have experienced infiltration by criminal elements.

The attack occurred while Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla was attending a public event in Mexico City with President Claudia Sheinbaum, marking seven years of Morena party governance.

The use of explosives in the region—whether deployed by drones, buried underground, or placed along roads—has become increasingly common among criminal organizations, although car bombs remain rare.

Michoacán’s strategic importance as a gateway for chemical precursors used in synthetic drug production has made it a key battleground among organized crime groups. Extortion adds another layer of lucrative criminal activity. At least three cartels designated by the Trump administration as terrorist organizations—Jalisco New Generation, United Cartels, and the New Michoacán Family—operate in the state, along with numerous local splinter groups, some backed by the Sinaloa Cartel.

By Vafa Guliyeva