Self-defense Groups Control 13 Cities and a Community in Western Mexican State

MICHOACAN, MEXICO - JANUARY 09: A man of the self-defense group tests his weapon at the outskirt of Paracuaro, in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. Despite some success by self-defense groups to free a few municipalities from the Knights Templar cartel, the cartel continues to enforce a stranglehold on other parts of Michoacan, a rich farming state that is a major exporter of lime, avocado and mango on January 08, 2014 in Mexico Paracuaro, Mexico. (Photo by Miguel Tovar/LatinContent via Getty Images)