Mexico: town in state of Michoacan seized from drug cartel Vigilantes seized a drug cartel's bastion in the state of Michoacan on Sunday, sparking a shootout as civilian militias gained new ground in their struggle against the gang in a violence-plagued region.Images of the Lazaro Cardenas seaport in the Mexican state of Michoacán, the largest one in the country, said to have become the Knights of Templar's cash machine. It has an annual traffic capacity of around 25 million tonnes of cargo. Stockshots.