A group of gunmen reportedly opened fire on the couple’s Ford F-150 Platinum pickup.
The woman died at the scene while her husband died a short while later at a nearby hospital.
The man, born in the US to Mexican parents, and his wife, a naturalized US citizen, had traveled to Angamacutiro from California to visit relatives during the holiday season.
The victims were most likely fired upon by cartel operatives who mistook them for members of a rival cartel, as their pickup had license plates from the north-central state of Queretaro.
Drivers operating vehicles with out-of-state license plates in Mexican states with high levels of cartel activity are especially at risk of being mistaken for rivals by trigger-happy cartel members.
Moreover, cartel operatives throughout Mexico prefer to travel in large, American-made pickups and SUVs with four-wheel drive.
The Ford F-150 Platinum is an especially high-end, V-8 powered version of the popular American pickup line.
Authorities believe there are at least six different cartels and gangs all vying for territory in Michoacan.
They include Los Viagras, the armed wing of the Familia Michoacana (Spanish abbr: FM) cartel; the Los Blancos de Troya criminal gang, the Tepalcatepec Cartel, the Zicuiran Cartel, the Virgin Cartel and remnants of the Knights Templar Cartel.
To further complicate the situation, both Los Viagras and the Los Blancos de Troya criminal gang are believed to recently have aligned themselves with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (Spanish abbr: CJNG), which is also active in the state.
The cartels fight each other, the security forces and armed civilian self-defense groups.
Uruapan, the second-largest city in Michoacan, is among the top 10 most dangerous cities in Mexico.
Extortion is rampant throughout Michoacan, an agricultural powerhouse that is a hub of the vital avocado and lime industries.
Conventional crime also is widespread in the state.
The US State Department repeatedly has warned American citizens against travel to Michoacan.
This service strongly concurs with that advice.
Multinational personnel, both Mexican and foreign, required to travel to Michoacan should do so with extreme caution, with consideration given to utilizing protective personnel. Travel should be undertaken only during hours of daylight and with fresh intelligence on areas to be visited.
Driving anywhere in Mexico with out-of-state or US license plates draws unwanted attention. The use of local license plates is recommended whenever possible.
Care should also be given to the profile the travelers present. A large SUV with five or more male travelers can be mistaken for a cartel vehicle by law enforcement and/or rival criminal groups.
It is never wise to travel in large luxury SUVs or pickups, cartel operatives’ conveyance of choice.
