Taking the toll road between Guadalajara and Lagos de Moreno is becoming a perilous drive.
This newspaper in its May 4 edition described how a Canadian couple was held up by armed carjackers on this stretch of highway (80D)—a harrowing incident on the kind of road that has traditionally been considered the safest way to travel through Mexico.
This week, a disturbing video circulated of a similar incident on the same toll road illustrating how the occupants of a Mexican-plated Nissan SUV were dispossessed of their vehicle by armed assailants.
The video shows the modus operandi of the carjackers: two pickups being driven on the wrong side of the highway approach the SUV head-on, forcing the driver to stop; two assailants, one armed with a shot gun, jump out and advance on the occupants, forcing them to get out of their vehicle. The carjackers drive away, leaving the couple standing helpless by the side of the highway.
Data recorded on a highway camera showed that the incident occurred on July 17 at 3:35 p.m. on the section of road between San Juan de los Lagos and Jalostotitlán.
Jalisco authorities issued a statement saying that the incident was orchestrated by a gang of criminals operating in the Lagos de Moreno region that has since been “dismantled.” The bulletin said measures had been taken to restrict side road access to the highway to combat carjackings.
Although the U.S. State Department issued an August 22 “update” to its Mexico Travel Advisory, the section on Jalisco remained unchanged. This is despite the ongoing turf wars among criminal groups in the Lagos de Moreno area, which came to a boil recently following the abduction of five young men and the disappearance of four women—cases that have received widespread publicity.
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