A car bomb explosion in Coahuayana, Michoacan, Mexico, has resulted in two deaths and at least seven injuries. The incident occurred on Saturday morning near the Community Police headquarters. According to the Security Cabinet, authorities are investigating the explosion. The Michoacan government confirmed the blast happened at 12:00 local time (16:00 GMT), less than 100 meters from the Coahuayana mayor's office. The State Attorney General's Office has launched an investigation to determine if the victims were members of the Community Police, a group that performs public security functions but lacks official government recognition. The explosion caused severe damage to at least ten buildings, including commercial premises, and around ten parked vehicles. The Community Police is led by Héctor Zepeda Navarrete, alias 'Comandante Teto,' a former member of the 2014 civilian self-defense groups that fought the dominant 'Knights Templar' drug cartel. The Michoacan government maintains Civil Guard (state police) units in Coahuayana, operating in coordination with the National Guard, Mexican Army, and Navy. Michoacan's 270-kilometer Pacific coast is a key route for cocaine trafficking from South America, prompting constant naval operations. Authorities have identified that Michoacan's coast residents work for drug traffickers, retrieving cocaine packages from the sea for transport by land or small aircraft. The Navy has noted a violent confrontation between Community Police from Aquila and Coahuayana and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) on the coast. Since November 10, security in Michoacan has been heightened following the murder of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo. To date, 165 people have been arrested, and authorities have seized 68 firearms, 7,409 cartridges, 375 magazines, 145 vehicles, 90 explosive devices, 53 kg of explosives, and various drugs.
