He Accused a Local Drug Lord of Owning Meth Labs. Then He Was Brutally Murdered.

The prominent leader of the historic self-defense movement in the troubled Mexican state of Michoacán was killed Thursday, days after he accused a drug trafficker of being behind a series of methamphetamine laboratories. 

Hipólito Mora, who had told the authorities that his life was at risk, was killed during an ambush by a group of men allegedly belonging to a local cartel, authorities announced on Thursday. 

Mora was driving an armored pick-up along a road in the small town of Felipe Carrillo Puerto, known as “La Ruana”, followed by two state police officers assigned to his security, when a group of at least five pick-up trucks blocked his way and started firing, authorities said. 

After riddling his pick-up with bullet holes, the attackers set him on fire, according to news reports. Two of his four security escorts also died during the attack. 

Mora was a lime farmer and the influential founder of one of Mexico’s first self-defense groups that was part of an armed civilian uprising that opposed the brutal rule of local drug gangs, starting around 2013. 

A gruesome video shared on social media shows a white SUV in ruins, its tires and interior in flames. A burnt body, allegedly that of Mora, is seen laying on the ground to the side of the vehicle. 

Another video shows the small town seconds before the attack, when the sound of heavy weapons detonating can be heard.

Mora’s brother posted a video on his social media accounts outside the place where Hipólito was killed and accused the Mexican government of abandoning him and “leaving him alone without protection.” 

“We had asked him to stay in Morelia [Michoacán’s  capital city] for his own safety but he didn’t listen and went to visit his hometown.” Michoacán Governor, Alfredo Ramírez told local news. 

Mora had survived at least two previous attacks in the streets of his hometown. The latest happened on March 5 when he was standing at a workshop near his house and at least two hitmen approached him and opened fire. Mora’s bodyguards managed to fire back and he sustained injuries that weren’t life-threatening. 

After the failed hit, Michoacan state authorities asked him to permanently leave his home and relocate to Morelia, where he had been living until Thursday when he was finally killed. 

Mora had warned authorities about a man called Heladio Cisneros, known as “La Sirena” who is allegedly leader of Los Viagras cartel, a criminal organization in Michoacán fighting against the rival New Generation Jalisco Cartel, according to news reports. 

Mora had accused Cisneros of having a large network of methamphetamine labs in the Tierra Caliente region of Michoacán, and also claimed that the alleged trafficker was behind the two previous attacks against him. 

In 2014 Mora was imprisoned on murder charges following a shootout in Michoacán between his and another vigilante group led by Luis Antonio Torres, a.k.a. "El Americano." The clash resulted in 11 deaths—including Mora's son. He was released a year later after charges were dropped.