This is the viral moment a mob of villagers take Mexican soldiers hostage after the weapons they reportedly use to fight off gangs were seized.
One video, seen over a million times on Facebook, shows villagers of La Huacana in the western Mexican state of Michoacan ordering soldiers to line up against a wall before removing their radios and weapons.
Video Credit: CEN
The village community claimed that they needed their weapons to defend themselves from organised gangs operating in the area.
A Barrett semi-automatic rifle capable of shooting down a helicopter was among the seized weapons, according to reports.
Meanwhile, the villagers demanded the return of their weapons in exchange for freeing the soldiers.
Another scene shows soldiers sitting on the ground as a villager explains the situation to their superior officers on the phone, saying: “I want all the weapons. I need you to send them in a car to La Huacana, please.
“We are a community, we are not an armed force, we are villagers and we are waiting for the weapons, please.”
“We have all your men here and they will not leave until the weapons are here.”
According to reports, after the Mexican Army seized the community’s arsenal, residents organised roadblocks and then seized the servicemen.
State Governor Silvano Aureoles confirmed that the soldiers were eventually released, but it is unclear whether the weapons were returned to the villagers.
According to reports, armed members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel attacked cops in the nearby city of Zamora last week, resulting in the death of three officers.
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Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
