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Coordinated Narcoblockades Paralyze Zacatecas Highways as State Deploys Forces

Officials link the predawn blockades to a police confrontation a day earlier in Tabasco municipality.

Overview

  • Starting around 3 a.m. on October 3, armed groups burned vehicles, scattered spike strips, hijacked cars, and used buses to block roads across Calera, Villanueva, Fresnillo, Cuauhtémoc, Río Grande, and Sombrerete.
  • Key routes affected included Federal Highways 45, 49, and 54, plus the Zacatecas–Durango corridor near km 027+000, leaving motorists stranded as emergency crews extinguished fires.
  • The state activated its Plan Antibloqueos, with the National Guard and Army reinforcing local police to clear barricades, assist drivers, and pursue those responsible.
  • Authorities reported no injuries or deaths as of the morning, though videos showed charred trucks and at least one passenger bus commandeered after riders were forced off.
  • Officials said operations continued to restore full circulation, and they urged travelers to check official traffic advisories and avoid affected stretches until reopened.