Clashes With Jalisco Cartel Kill 27 in Mexico's Town Of Aguililla
Police stand beside a body with a mask on in the street, one of numerous murders over a 24 hour period, on March 26, 2010 in Juarez, Mexico. The border city of Juarez, Mexico has been racked by violent drug related crime recently and has quickly become one of the most dangerous cities in the world to live. As drug cartels have been fighting over ever lucrative drug corridors along the United States border, the murder rate in Juarez has risen to 173 slayings for every 100,000 residents. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A large gunfight between drug cartels Jalisco New Generation Cartel and Carteles Unidos in the Mexico's state of Michoacán broke out last week that resulted in the deaths of 27 people.

Mexico News Daily reported that the Jalisco cartel had killed these individuals who are members of the rival criminal group.

The shootouts between the Jalisco cartel and Carteles Unidos were first reported early Wednesday morning, hours after the former mayor of Aguililla Adalberto Fructuoso Comparan was arrested in Guatemala, Borderland Beat reported.

At least eight of the reported dead were beheaded in one of the shootout locations. The shootouts took place in three different points of Aguililla in Michoacán.

A local Carteles Unidos boss with the moniker "El Bombilla" was reportedly killed during the exchange of fires. There were no casualties or injuries reported on the Jalisco cartel's side. But a Michoacán media outlet noted that it was presumed that the Jalisco cartel had suffered losses as well.

Residents said the law enforcement did not intervene at all when the shootout happened. No municipal, state or federal officials confirmed that the shootout occurred.

Violence in Mexico

More than 31,000 murders were recorded in Mexico last year, which is a number that is roughly on pace with 2019, according to The New York Times report.

In 2019, the township of Aguililla reported the deaths of 13 officers. Some of the bodies were still inside the patrol trucks when the vehicles were set ablaze.

State police ventured into the town to hand out a single warrant, with commanders sending 42 officers in five trucks, according to a USA Today report in 2019.

The said attack marked the worst retaliation on Mexican law enforcement in years. Authorities said the state police envoy was ambushed as it sought to enforce order at home in El Aguaje, Aguililla.

"No attack on the police will go unpunished, and this was a cowardly, devious attack because they laid an ambush in this area of the road," Gov. Silvano Aureoles said at the time of the attack.

In a new report, Amnesty International (AI) stated that unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, and violence against women and girls are among Mexico's human rights violations.

According to another Mexico News Daily report, AI also cited three unlawful killings done by Mexican security forces last year. It includes the death of 30-year-old Giovanni Lopez Ramirez, who was allegedly killed by municipal police.

AI also acknowledged the decree signed last May by Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which ordered the armed forces to be permanently deployed in public security operations until March 2024.

Arbitrary detention of at least 27 people during protests in Guadalajara was also noted. The said protests erupted in light of the death of Ramirez.

"Protesters were abducted in unmarked vehicles, and their whereabouts were unknown for several hours. Local organizations reported that at least 20 of these detentions could amount to enforced disappearances," the report said.

The group noted that Mexico has plenty to be ashamed of regarding its attitude toward the basic freedoms of the citizens. The report said that even human rights defenders continued to be targeted and harassed, adding that 24 were killed last year.

WATCH: 13 Killed in Mexico Cartel Violence - From Al Jazeera English