Official: Mexican Army Sends More Troops to West A Mexican military official says thousands of additional troops are being sent to the violence-stricken western state of Michoacan. The official tells The Associated Press that some 4,000 soldiers have begun arriving in the state capital to prepare for an offensive in a mountainous western section of the state known as Tierra-Caliente. The area has been hit by a surge in violence in recent weeks. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information. A military spokesman declined to comment. Authorities in Michoacan are battling quasi-religious drug cartels called La Familia and the Knights Templar that claim to be following divine will.