Lázaro Cárdenas is a strategic port for commerce with countries in the Pacific. It has been controlled by Mexican Marines since last November, as the government cracks down what it says are illegal exports of iron ore to China by the Knights Templar cartel.
State Commissioner Alfredo Castillo said that more than 400 police agents raided 11 holding and supply yards around the port, where they found the undocumented iron and machinery.
Six Chinese citizens detained during the operation Monday will be held until they can prove their legal status in the country, reports Reuters Latin America. It is unclear if they played any role in the smuggling operations.
The Knights Templar is a powerful drug cartel in Mexico that has also been accused of kidnappings, extortions and murders.
The cartel controls the mining industry in Michoacán, from extraction and transportation to paying off or extorting customs authorities and international companies, reports the New York Times.
Military and police forces have been deployed to Michoacán since January to control the violence and chaos arising from clashes between the Knights Templar and self-defense groups formed by armed civilians to fight the cartel’s abuse and advances.
