Gunmen in western Mexico have robbed cameras and cellphones from journalists covering a campaign tour by Mexico's indigenous presidential candidate.

Maria de Jesus Patricio, known as "MariChuy," is being supported by the National Indigenous Congress in her bid to get on the July 1 ballot as an independent candidate.

The group wrote in its Twitter account that reporters following the candidate in a convoy were stopped Sunday by armed assailants in two vehicles on a road in Michoacan state. The group says the assailants threatened and robbed the journalists.

The incident occurred in an area where vigilante "self-defense" groups sprang up in 2013 to fight the Knights Templar drug cartel.

Patricio is touring the country trying to gather the 866,000 signatures she needs to get on the ballot.