Vigilantes Legal in Mexico

On January 27th the Mexican government legalized vigilante groups fighting drug cartels and on the same day the government announced that they captured one of the top leaders of the Knights Templar drug cartel, a cartel that vigilantes have been fighting with over a year. At the moment over 20,000 civilians have taken up arms against the cartels and they rose up last February in the Mexican state of Michoacan after the Knights Templar became a bigger threat to residents. When vigilantes rose up in Michoancan, the vigilantes told authorities that they would not lay down their arms until the Knights Templar were arrested.

The vigilantes have been given the term "self-defense forces" and will integrated into Rural Defense Corps. Before this law enforcement and military forces have worked and cooperated regularly with vigilante forces. These vigilantes are not the most law abiding citizens themselves. Many of the vigilantes own assault rifles which are illegal under Mexican law, but with the government legalizing vigilante forces, vigilantes will be able to keep their weapons as long as they and their members register them with the army. Many vigilante leaders are ready to make an agreement with government officials but are still not sure what the agreement will imply. 

It will be interesting how well the vigilante forces will do against the drug cartels. I have seen some fears others have pointed out. One is that Mexico's government is known for having corruption with in and that the wrong person could get a hold of the vigilante list and sell it to cartel leaders. But overall this another way Mexico has found to help deal with their fight with the drug cartels.

Source

http://www.businessinsider.com/mexico-legalized-vigilantes-arrests-knights-templar-drug-cartel-2014-1