Following the drug cartel ambush of a police convoy in Soyatan on April 6, which caused the deaths of 15 officers, 23 members of Jalisco’s elite Fuerza Unica Regional (FUR) have resigned.
According to the state Attorney General’s Office, the officers cited personal reasons for leaving their posts. Currently, the FUR incorporates 1,142 members, meaning that two percent of the force has decided to leave.
After the gruesome attack in Soyatan, Jalisco Governor Aristoteles Sandoval met with members of the organization to assure them that he would carry out a full investigation into the incident.
“I want to tell you that you can count on me, you are fully supported,” the governor said.
At the meeting, which was closed to the media, Police officers took the opportunity to express their anger over their long working hours and unsatisfactory equipment.
Newspaper Milenio asked Attorney General Luis Carlos Najera how the best equipped force in the state could be attacked and outgunned by the criminal group. He compared the tactics of the drug cartel to the guerrilla tactics used in the Vietnam War. “They chose the territory; they had a logistics team and arms that we don’t have such as explosives and incendiary devices. The police were also hindered by the fact that they couldn’t get closer because of the elevation. The two hills where the cartel was positioned for the attack gave them a distinct advantage.”