Gallery: One Small Town's Fight to Banish a Brutal Mexican Cartel

  • Image may contain Car Automobile Vehicle Transportation Human Person Clothing Apparel Road Wheel and Machine
    BRETT GUNDLOCK
    01

    Brett Gundlock

    *A member of the "Ronda Comunitaria" (Community Guard) mans a checkpoint, at an entrance to Cherán.*
  • Image may contain Human Person Urban Roof Building Neighborhood Nature Outdoors Landscape Scenery and Slum
    BRETT GUNDLOCK
    02

    Brett Gundlock

    *Cherán, a small mountain town in the Mexican state of Michoachan, in middle of the Mexican forest, saw its citizens organize in 2011 and overthrew the corrupt local government and police force. The citizens of the pueblo (town or community,) set up their own government system and police force in an attempt to drive organized crime out of their community and forest after years of extortion and violence.*
  • Image may contain Human Person Animal Mammal Bull Bullfighter Building and Bullfighting
    BRETT GUNDLOCK
    03

    Brett Gundlock

    *A matador prepares for his rodeo performance in Cherán, with a drink.*
  • Image may contain Agathonas Iakovidis Clothing Apparel Human Person Hat Footwear Vegetation Plant and Ground
    BRETT GUNDLOCK
    04

    Brett Gundlock

    *A community member and member of the reforestation team, eats lunch outside of the of town of Cherán.*
  • Image may contain Plant Flower Blossom Human Person Flower Arrangement Flower Bouquet Market Bazaar and Shop
    BRETT GUNDLOCK
    05

    Brett Gundlock

    *A girl sells flowers in Cherán.*
  • Image may contain Human Person Clothing Apparel Hat Weapon Gun Weaponry and People
    BRETT GUNDLOCK
    06

    Brett Gundlock

    *Young member of Cherán's "Ronda Comunitaria" (Community Guard).*
  • Image may contain Clothing Apparel Human and Person
    BRETT GUNDLOCK
    07

    Brett Gundlock

    *Confetti sprinkled in a woman's hair during a celebration in Cherán.*
  • Image may contain Human and Person
    BRETT GUNDLOCK
    08

    Brett Gundlock

    *People of town of Cherán, in the Mexican State of Michoacán, celebrate during one of their annual fiestas, October, 2012.*
  • Image may contain Clothing Apparel Human Person Footwear Shoe Transportation Vehicle Automobile Car and Pants
    BRETT GUNDLOCK
    09

    Brett Gundlock

    *Young men hanging out in the town of Cherán.*
  • Image may contain Pattern Rug Clothing and Apparel
    BRETT GUNDLOCK
    10

    Brett Gundlock

    *Fresh weed in the town of Cherán. The community police try to intercept drugs being brought into Cherán. Personal use is tolerated, but dealing by outsiders is not.*
  • Image may contain Clothing Apparel Human Person and Lighting
    BRETT GUNDLOCK
    11

    Brett Gundlock

    *Two young men smoke weed in the town of Cherán.*
  • Image may contain Human Person Footwear Clothing Apparel Shoe Barrel Brick Pants Animal and Bird
    BRETT GUNDLOCK
    12

    Brett Gundlock

    *Band practice in the backyard.*
  • Image may contain Human Person Clothing Hat and Apparel
    BRETT GUNDLOCK
    13

    Brett Gundlock

    *Young cowboys at a rodeo.*
  • Image may contain Footwear Shoe Clothing Apparel Human Person Pants Animal Mammal Horse Denim Jeans and Bull
    BRETT GUNDLOCK
    14

    Brett Gundlock

    *Rodeo participants tie down a bull, Cherán.*
Read More
Top Disney Plus Discounts and Promos for October 2026
Cut your subscription costs with the latest active Disney+ bundle deals, verified student offers, and partner promotions.
Molly Higgins
Top Home Depot Promo Codes: 30% Off in October 2026
Save up to 50% today with the latest Home Depot promo codes for appliances, power tools, and more this October.
Matthew Korfhage
Altra Running Promo Codes and Deals October 2026
Score big savings on Altra Running shoes with up to 50% off sale styles, 20% off select models, 10% off your first order when you sign up, plus free standard delivery on every purchase.
Boutayna Chokrane
Top eBay Coupons in October 2026
Save up to 60% on a selection of items at eBay, including electronics, home products, card games, car parts and more.
Molly Higgins
LG Promo Codes and Coupons for October 2026
Save 20% with an LG promo code today, plus up to $1,000 off appliances, 40% off bestselling TVs and monitors.
Harry Rabinowitz
Top Canon Promo Codes: 30% Off for October 2026
Save an extra 10% or 30% with Canon coupon codes, plus up to $1,600 on cameras, printers, and more this October 2026.
Gear Team
Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ Becomes ‘Assisted Driving’ in Europe
The automaker has been criticized for misleading drivers with the feature’s name. Now it’s renaming it for European regulators.
Aarian Marshall
Book Publishers Are Quietly Using More AI. Staff Are Revolting
Workers at three major publishing houses tell WIRED that LLMs are being used for publicity, cover art, back cover copy, and emails, as some execs push junior staff to champion the tech.
Adam Morgan
NASA Just Made Nearly 1 TB of Artemis II Data Available to the Public
The data drop includes photographs, audio, video, and astronauts’ notes that will be used to study the moon and prepare for future human missions.
Jorge Garay
The DOJ Is Weighing Perjury Charges Against Cassidy Hutchinson
The Justice Department is considering a perjury and obstruction-of-justice case against Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide who testified against Donald Trump to the January 6 committee.
Hugo Lowell
I’m Still Convinced the iPod Was the Perfect Gadget
Apple’s original music player got many things right. Chief among them: It didn’t connect to the internet.
Steven Levy
Dunking on Dating App Profiles Is Content Gold. People Are Getting Sick of It
Relationship coaches, TikTokers, and disgruntled singles alike frequently shame bad profiles, as more apps experiment with blocking screenshots.
Jason Parham