In central Mexico, a drug cartel has kidnapped 14 local residents, including four children, in what seems to be a retaliation for a recent uprising by angry farmers. The farmers in the village of Texcaltitlán had enough of cartel extortions and, armed with sickles and hunting rifles, confronted suspected gang members in a clash that took place on December 8, resulting in the death of 10 cartel gunmen and four villagers.

Prosecutors revealed on Wednesday that the cartel responded by abducting 14 people, including four children aged between one and a half and 14. Among the kidnapped adults are three policemen taken at a cartel roadblock and a wounded villager seized from a hospital after the clash. The state’s head prosecutor, José Luis Cervantes, mentioned that no ransom demand had been made, contrary to previous official denials that anyone was kidnapped.

Residents claim that the Familia Michoacana drug cartel is demanding the surrender of the uprising leaders in exchange for releasing the kidnapped individuals. Cervantes clarified that the villagers involved in the December 8 clash would not face charges, as it was deemed “legitimate self-defense” in defense of their properties.

The Familia Michoacana cartel, long dominant in the area, had previously demanded extortion fees from local farmers, leading to the violent confrontation in the hamlet of Texcaltitlán, located about 80 miles southwest of Mexico City. A video of the clash surfaced, showing cartel gunmen in military-style uniforms, some with helmets, while villagers set their bodies and vehicles on fire.

Drug cartels in Mexico often extort money from various businesses, legal or illegal, resorting to violence against those who refuse to pay. The Familia Michoacana, known for bold attacks on police, was responsible for the 2022 massacre in Totolapan, Guerrero, where 20 townspeople were killed, including the mayor and his father.