An innocent 22-year-old woman, identified as Isabel Ashanti, was killed, and two adults were seriously injured during an attack by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) at an improvised checkpoint on the Zitácuaro–Aputzio highway in Juárez, Michoacán.
On Monday, June 23, in the early morning, Isabel was traveling with her 45-year-old father and a 26-year-old friend after attending a dance in Zitácuaro. When they failed to stop at the illegal checkpoint, the criminals opened fire on the Ford F-150 truck they were traveling in, killing the young woman instantly and seriously wounding the other two occupants.
The checkpoint was commanded by William Edwin Rivera Padilla, alias “El Barbas,” a regional lieutenant of the CJNG, who ordered the shooting. The criminal cell is engaged in a territorial dispute over the border area with the State of Mexico, particularly near the Donato Guerra detour.
Sources emphasize that, in a failed operation days earlier to capture “El Barbas” in Zitácuaro, acts of violence had already occurred, including the death of a four-year-old child and injuries to others.
Authorities have not reported any arrests related to this attack. The Michoacán Prosecutor’s Office is expected to complete the investigation and coordinate with federal forces to locate those responsible and clarify the murder of Isabel Ashanti.
The Michoacan Post sends it sincere condolences to the friends and family of Isabel Ashanti. RIP.
Source: OEM
