In 1966, Jalisco state was shocked at a burst of violence in a remote corner of the state. What happened in hills surrounding the ranch of La Atrevida shocked many, such violence was unheard of.
Six Mexican Federal Judicial Police Officers were ambushed and killed in the woods. One by one, sniped by an armed farmer who refused a federal order from Guadalajara to turn in his assault rifle. One of those agents was the first husband of my cousins tia, who left behind a 1 year old daughter.
"El Maco" was a rugged mountain man. People were scared of him but he kept to himself. He owned a rifle, several handguns and a his beloved assault rifle which he used for hunting on occasions. This didnt sit well with authorities.
On January 30th , 1966, Five Policia Rural del Estado agents were sent from Guadalajara to the town of Guachinango to provide security for the Fiestas celebrated in honor of the Virgin of la Candelaria, her day being February 2nd. On that day they told El Maco to relinquish his guns, but he refused.
"Captain, If you want to disarm me, you better make sure im dead first" was El Maco's response.
Several miles down the road in La Atrevida, the Judicial Police officers went to arrest El Maco. El Maco already lay in wait, among the bushes and trees surrounding the ranch.
Witnesses say he lay hidden in a deep ravine and with his telescope he opened fire on the Judiciales once he had them in view. One by one he sniped them in the head with incredible aim. The rest of the Judiciales fired back and repelled the agression but all their bullets missed him.
Six Judiciales lay dead and El Maco fled.
Since its been so long since the ambush at La Atrevida happened, people made stuff up about the event and rumors abound.
The end of this story had a crazy but unlikely twist. El Maco was never arrested, but rather being the "brave" campesino that he was, he placed his rifle into a burlap bag and he went to the Judicial Police Headquarters in Guadalajara and turned himself in.
"I am El Maco, im the man who killed all those Judiciales in La Atrevida".
Rather than arrest him, the Federal Judicial Police force in Guadalajara offered him a job. A man with such balls and good aim, they needed him on their side.
The Official Version of events was as followed.
Seven Judicial Police Officers from Guadalajara but stationed in the village of Atenguillo, down the road from Guachinango, went to the town of San Martin Hidalgo, near Ameca to collect their pay. There they received the order to head to Guachinango to provide security for the annual fiesta.
The night of January 29th, 1966, they spent the night in Ameca and would head to Guachinango the next morning. A few miles before reaching the dirt road that led to the town off the main highway, right near La Atrevida ranch, they saw several men walking who were visibly armed.
The Judicial Police officers stopped their truck in order to question the men as to why they were armed and if they had permits for their weapons. One of the men fled into the woods and the other 3 men tried to run as well but were stopped by one of the Police Officers.
The men claimed they were hunters from Guadalajara spending a day in the country. They had no permits. They claimed the man who fled was a peasant farmer they had encountered on their journey and who had volunteered to guide them and show them where the good spots for hunting were, the man being an avid hunter and excellent marksman himself.
The other Judiciales went in pursuit of the man and were met with gunfire. El Maco, hiding in small ravine and protected by shruberry, picked off the Agents one by one with his powerful rifle and his incredible aim.
Five agents were killed on the spot. The Comandante of the Judiciales, Sgt. Jose Magana was badly wounded but managed to flag down a passing motorist whom he ordered to take him to the hospital in Guadalajara. He died later that night while undergoing surgery. The sole survivor was Agent Limon whom had stayed behind with the three men in custody.
El Maco turned himself in to the Judicial Police Headquarters in Guadalajara, and his fate after that was unknown.
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