GUAJES DE AYALA, GUERRERO — A group of about 50 men wearing camouflage patrols rural areas near Guajes de Ayala to oppose La Nueva Familia Michoacana. Jesús Domínguez carries an AK-47 over his shoulder and a grenade on his belt while patrolling a mountainside near Guajes de Ayala.

The self-defense group in Guajes de Ayala was formed in 2020 after La Nueva Familia Michoacana attempted to take control of seven mountain communities along a strategic route to the port of Acapulco. Residents said La Nueva Familia Michoacana engaged in illegal logging on their lands and tried to force them to fight rival gangs. In the absence of Mexican military and police forces, residents of Guajes de Ayala armed themselves and formed self-defense patrols.

Sporadic firefights between the vigilantes and La Nueva Familia Michoacana lasted nearly a year. The population of Guajes de Ayala communities fell from about 1,600 to 400 during the conflict. Villages in Guajes de Ayala have been largely abandoned, leaving many vacant homes.

"The government doesn't care about us, and it's impossible for our arms to compete with the cartel's," Domínguez said. "They come at you with a ton of force, so you need to respond with force…If you don't, they'll overwhelm you."

Vigilantes now guard their towns from mountain watch posts and use drones to monitor about 100 cartel gunmen camped a few kilometers away. The Guajes de Ayala self-defense group uses drone detection systems and intercepts radio frequencies. The group uses DJI drones valued at thousands of dollars for surveillance.

The vigilantes carry AK-47 and AR-15 rifles stamped with "MADE IN USA" and the names of manufacturers from Florida, South Carolina, and Poland. One member of the self-defense group said they purchase weapons from cartels but did not specify which cartel. A member said he was formerly part of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and was paid to join the self-defense group.

Javier Hernández said his group provides intelligence on La Nueva Familia Michoacana to law enforcement. Hernández said his group declined alliance offers from other self-defense groups known for preying on civilians. Two local gangs aligned with La Nueva Familia Michoacana permit residents to transit through their territories to avoid encirclement.

Marisela Mojica sent six of her children and grandchildren away after her daughter was kidnapped by individuals claiming to be members of La Nueva Familia Michoacana. "If they come to kill us all, I want one of us to still be alive," Mojica said. Mojica has not seen her family in six years and has not met two grandchildren born after they fled.

The 50-man force is one of dozens of self-defense groups that have emerged in Mexico over the past decade to fight drug cartels in areas with limited security force presence. La Nueva Familia Michoacana was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government in 2025.