Four transport vehicles burned in Morelos
Original reporting: Azteca Noticias
What happened
Azteca Noticias reported that three vehicles were burned in Cuautla and one in Yecapixtla. Passengers were forced out before one attack; no injuries were reported. Extortion and possible retaliation over roadblocks were cited as possible motives.
Reporting and context
At least four public-transport vehicles were set on fire in Morelos, three in Cuautla and one in Yecapixtla, according to Azteca Noticias. No injuries were reported, but the attacks led to the suspension of classes and other activities in the area.
In one Cuautla attack, assailants threatened passengers and forced them out of a van before setting the vehicle alight. The passengers had left the vehicle when it was burned, the report said.
Azteca Noticias reported that the attacks may have been linked to extortion by organized-crime groups demanding payments from transport operators in exchange for allowing them to work. It also cited a different account from authorities suggesting possible retaliation by the criminal group Pueblos Unidos.
Under that account, drivers allegedly refused to take part in roadblocks following the arrest and subsequent release of a man known as “El Güero Gym.” The report presented these as possible explanations for the attacks.
The broadcaster described extortion as a serious continuing problem in Cuautla despite arrests of suspected participants in criminal activity. The vehicle burnings also prompted questions about the Morelos state government's security strategy.
Original report: Azteca Noticias.