Drug gang attacks force hundreds of indigenous families to flee in Mexico
Oscar Lopez
Violence in Mexico’s Guerrero state has forced hundreds of indigenous families to flee their homes after brutal attacks by the Los Ardillos gang, including drone bombings. The National Indigenous Congress reported 800 to 1,000 families evacuated, with at least four deaths confirmed. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said security forces are being deployed to help residents return.
Violence in Mexico’s central Guerrero state has forced hundreds of indigenous families to flee their homes after fierce attacks by a local gang, including drone bombings, an indigenous rights group said.
The gang known as Los Ardillos has carried out attacks in Guerrero for years, but the situation escalated last week. Villages endured eight hours of bombing on Saturday, forcing 800 to 1,000 families to evacuate to another town, the National Indigenous Congress said.
“People are extremely panicked,” said Carlos González García, a spokesperson for the congress, confirming at least four deaths. “Families are terrified, especially women and children. This is a level of violence we have never seen before.”
Videos circulating on social media showed women and children sobbing as they sheltered in a local church. Other clips captured intense gunfire and explosions echoing across the countryside.
“They attacked us with drones and .50-caliber weapons, that’s why I left and took my twin sons,” a woman said in a video posted by another indigenous advocacy group. “They killed livestock and set the hillsides on fire.”
The use of bomb-carrying drones and sophisticated weapons by Mexican drug gangs is increasingly common. Many impoverished, remote communities are forced to abandon their homes to find safety.
A recent study by Mexico’s Ibero University found that the number of people displaced by violence more than doubled from 2023 to 2024, rising from 12,600 to 28,900. By the end of 2024, nearly 400,000 people were internally displaced in Mexico.
“We are working to protect the people,” said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. “With the presence of the National Guard and support for displaced families, we can help them return to their former homes.”
According to González, the attacks targeted armed community police forces formed by villagers for self-defense. Los Ardillos are also pressuring villagers to grow opium poppies.
He accused local authorities of colluding with criminals. The area has three joint military bases but they have not stopped the violence. “The Mexican state has a duty to protect, investigate collusion, and dismantle the gangs,” he stressed.
The Guerrero state government said it recorded only 90 displaced people over the weekend, and that federal and state forces had been deployed to the area.
