Local police in the municipality of Villagrán, Guanajuato, are under investigation after failing to assist state and federal forces in an operation Monday against the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel.

At a press conference later in the day, state Attorney General Carlos Zamarripa Aguirre told reporters that the entire Villagrán police force ignored calls for backup to remove blockades preventing state and federal security forces from entering the community.

“We have opened several investigations to find out why local police were absent during certain calls for backup. More specifically, they did not respond to calls from state and federal forces in the early hours of this morning and . . . they will of course be expected to explain [their absence].”

Zamarripa said the operation, an attempt to capture cartel leader José Antonio “El Marro” Yépez Ortiz, cleared the highway blockades, rescued six people, including a woman, a local police officer and a former officer, who were being held captive near a property owned by the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel leader.

Several people were detained during the operation, and arms, drugs and a dozen vehicles that had been reported stolen were seized.

The attorney general said federal and state authorities will remain in Santa Rosa de Lima indefinitely until the operation’s objectives have been achieved.