Day 688 — Michoacán CJNG Operation Toll Rises to 12 Detained; Tío Lako Still at Large

On August 20, 2026 (Day 688, Thursday), authorities raised the toll from the prior day's federal operation against Tío Lako's CJNG cell in Tanhuato and Ecuandureo, Michoacán to 12 people detained — his daughter, partner and 10 others — while Tío Lako (Heraclio Guerrero Martínez) himself remained at large. SEDENA, the National Guard, SSPC and the Navy jointly carried out the raids, seizing 64 vehicles (one armored), a .50-caliber machine gun, four 5.56mm mini machine guns, nine long rifles, a handgun, grenade-launcher attachments, eight improvised explosive devices, a drone and ammunition. Officials again linked the crackdown to Tío Lako's alleged orders to attack National Guard troops after the February 22, 2026 SEDENA operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco that killed CJNG leader Rubén "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes and Tío Lako's son, Rubén "El R1" Guerrero Valadez.