Mexican forces at war with the Knights Templar drug cartel Following deadly attacks on Tuesday by armed men on security forces, the Mexican police and army have gone to war against the Knights Templar, a powerful drug cartel, in Mexico's western state of Michoacan. On Thursday, the village of Aguililla was in a state of siege: on one side the federal police and the army, and on the other side the Knights Templar, up in the mountains and launching attacks against the Mexican forces. Images and soundbites.