I’d first heard about the Mexican “self-defense” forces a few months ago and ever since have been very interested in these armed groups of civilians, taking it upon themselves to challenge the drug cartels in open battle, restoring peace to their lands and villages, in light of the fact that the state of Mexico, local and federal, can’t or wont put a stop to the criminal violence plaguing Mexico. 
This post from back in March on the Resistance is Fertile blog by Oso Sabio sums it up nicely:
What are the Mexican Autodefensas and Community Police Forces?
