By . Harriet Arkell . and Ted Thornhill . PUBLISHED: . 08:15 EST, 10 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:34 EST, 10 January 2014 . Residents of a town in western Mexico set fire to at least three trailer trucks on Thursday to protest the arrival of 600 vigilantes to their community. The burning trucks blocked roads leading into Paracuaro in Michoacan state before federal police and soldiers removed them. The ‘self-defense’ group arrived Saturday in pickup trucks and SUVs and set up a checkpoint at the entrance to Paracuaro, a town of artisans and lime farmers. Scroll down for video . Torched: A vehicle burns at an entrance to Paracuaro, Mexico, on Thursday as part of a protest by residents at the arrival of vigilantes . The situation in Paracuaro is akin to a civil war, with drug dealers, the police, vigilantes and locals, all fighting each other . An armed member of a self-defense group, that formed to fight organized crime, mans a checkpoint in Paracuaro . Federal police patrol the entrance of Paracuaro . Soldiers guard the entrance to Paracuaro with one of the three trailer trucks that residents set on fire in the background . A man belonging to a self-defense group that formed to fight organized crime stands at a checkpoint in Paracuaro . Vigilant: A member of a self-defense group cleans his weapon at a Paracuaro checkpoint . Townspeople said they oppose the vigilantes because they are forcing young men to join them. Detained: Local vigilantes arrested police in Paracuaro in south-west Mexico as they seized back control of the town from the Knights Templar drugs gang . Taking matters into their own hands: Hundreds of residents joined forces to storm Paracuaro, headquarters of the Caballeros Templarios gang . They disarmed some police officers on . suspicion they were working with drug traffickers. An unidentified man . was killed in a gunbattle after the vigilantes seized the town. Townspeople said they oppose the vigilantes because they are forcing young men to join them. Vigilante . groups have formed to confront drug cartels in parts of Michoacan, a . rich farming state that is a major exporter of limes, avocados and . mangos. Police officers are forced to surrender their weapons to armed vigilantes in Paracuaro after the group seized control . Members of Guerrero state's Public Safety System marched in honour of their first anniversary - their region is a centre for drugs production . Rumors circulate . that some self-defense groups have been infiltrated by the New . Generation cartel, charges that the groups vehemently deny. New Generation has been fighting a turf war with the Michoacan-based Knights Templar cartel. Some . people in the region say members of the Knights Templar have also tried . to use self-defense groups as cover for illegal activities. The . vigilantes drove into the town in black armoured vehicles shouting . 'don't be frightened, we are vigilantes', before expelling drugs . traffickers. Local vigilantes armed themselves to take control of Paracuaro back - they accuse police of being in league with the gangs and say they have to protect themselves . In neighbouring Guerrero state members of the Public Safety System (a community police organisation) marched in honour of their first anniversary . Bloody battle for control: A vigilante aims his weapon after storming into Paracuaro yesterday - one man was reported dead in the gun battles that ensued . Smash: This plane crashed in western Mexico on Sunday, killing one man and injuring four others including vigilante group leader, Dr Jose Manuel Mireles . Michoacan has . been rocked by repeated explosions of civil unrest since February last . year, as vigilante groups have sprung up in communities where people say . they are not being protected from drugs trafficking gangs. Over . in the neighbouring state of Guerrero, which produces half of Mexico's . heroin and is riddled with drugs gangs, members of the Public Safety . System, or the Guerrero community police, marched yesterday to . commemorate the first anniversary of their foundation in Ayutla de los . Libres. Insecurity dominates . the lives of millions of Mexicans, for whom taking the law into their . own hands has become the only option.  Drugs cartels make millions of . dollars producing and selling drugs, so the land where they produce . opium poppies and marijuana is highly prized and often fought . over.
Residents living in fear of violent criminal gangs in south-west Mexico are taking matters into their own hands .
600 vigilantes seized control of town of Paracuaro in Michoacan state in bloody battle that left one dead .
Convoy of 'autodefensas', or self-defence groups, drove into the town controlled by drugs gang in blacked-out SUVs .
They took back control from the Cabelleros Templarios (Knights Templar) gang which terrorised local residents .
Residents angry at the vigilantes recruiting young people have burnt at least three trailers to keep them out .
By . Harriet Arkell . and Ted Thornhill . PUBLISHED: . 08:15 EST, 10 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:34 EST, 10 January 2014 . Residents of a town in western Mexico set fire to at least three trailer trucks on Thursday to protest the arrival of 600 vigilantes to their community. The burning trucks blocked roads leading into Paracuaro in Michoacan state before federal police and soldiers removed them. The ‘self-defense’ group arrived Saturday in pickup trucks and SUVs and set up a checkpoint at the entrance to Paracuaro, a town of artisans and lime farmers. Scroll down for video . Torched: A vehicle burns at an entrance to Paracuaro, Mexico, on Thursday as part of a protest by residents at the arrival of vigilantes . The situation in Paracuaro is akin to a civil war, with drug dealers, the police, vigilantes and locals, all fighting each other . An armed member of a self-defense group, that formed to fight organized crime, mans a checkpoint in Paracuaro . Federal police patrol the entrance of Paracuaro . Soldiers guard the entrance to Paracuaro with one of the three trailer trucks that residents set on fire in the background . A man belonging to a self-defense group that formed to fight organized crime stands at a checkpoint in Paracuaro . Vigilant: A member of a self-defense group cleans his weapon at a Paracuaro checkpoint . Townspeople said they oppose the vigilantes because they are forcing young men to join them. Detained: Local vigilantes arrested police in Paracuaro in south-west Mexico as they seized back control of the town from the Knights Templar drugs gang . Taking matters into their own hands: Hundreds of residents joined forces to storm Paracuaro, headquarters of the Caballeros Templarios gang . They disarmed some police officers on . suspicion they were working with drug traffickers. An unidentified man . was killed in a gunbattle after the vigilantes seized the town. Townspeople said they oppose the vigilantes because they are forcing young men to join them. Vigilante . groups have formed to confront drug cartels in parts of Michoacan, a . rich farming state that is a major exporter of limes, avocados and . mangos. Police officers are forced to surrender their weapons to armed vigilantes in Paracuaro after the group seized control . Members of Guerrero state's Public Safety System marched in honour of their first anniversary - their region is a centre for drugs production . Rumors circulate . that some self-defense groups have been infiltrated by the New . Generation cartel, charges that the groups vehemently deny. New Generation has been fighting a turf war with the Michoacan-based Knights Templar cartel. Some . people in the region say members of the Knights Templar have also tried . to use self-defense groups as cover for illegal activities. The . vigilantes drove into the town in black armoured vehicles shouting . 'don't be frightened, we are vigilantes', before expelling drugs . traffickers. Local vigilantes armed themselves to take control of Paracuaro back - they accuse police of being in league with the gangs and say they have to protect themselves . In neighbouring Guerrero state members of the Public Safety System (a community police organisation) marched in honour of their first anniversary . Bloody battle for control: A vigilante aims his weapon after storming into Paracuaro yesterday - one man was reported dead in the gun battles that ensued . Smash: This plane crashed in western Mexico on Sunday, killing one man and injuring four others including vigilante group leader, Dr Jose Manuel Mireles . Michoacan has . been rocked by repeated explosions of civil unrest since February last . year, as vigilante groups have sprung up in communities where people say . they are not being protected from drugs trafficking gangs. Over . in the neighbouring state of Guerrero, which produces half of Mexico's . heroin and is riddled with drugs gangs, members of the Public Safety . System, or the Guerrero community police, marched yesterday to . commemorate the first anniversary of their foundation in Ayutla de los . Libres. Insecurity dominates . the lives of millions of Mexicans, for whom taking the law into their . own hands has become the only option.  Drugs cartels make millions of . dollars producing and selling drugs, so the land where they produce . opium poppies and marijuana is highly prized and often fought . over.
arrival of 600 vigilantes to their community. The Paracuaro in Michoacan state before federal residents at the arrival of vigilantes . The because they are forcing young men to join them. Paracuaro in south-west Mexico as they seized back control of the town from the Knights Templar drugs gang . Taking matters into their own hands: Templarios gang . They disarmed some police self-defense groups have been infiltrated by the activities. The . vigilantes drove into the town