An assault on a jail within the Mexican border city of Juarez killed 19 and allowed a cartel boss to flee together with two dozen different prisoners, authorities stated on Monday.
An armed group touring in armored automobiles launched assaults on the jail and the town police station virtually concurrently, Protection Minister Luis Crescencio Sandoval stated at a information convention.
Authorities stated Sunday morning’s assault coincided with preparations for New 12 months’s Day visits. They initially stated the demise toll was at the very least 14, however by Monday, Sandoval stated, it had risen to 19: 10 guards, seven prisoners and two attackers.
The assault allowed 25 prisoners to flee, together with Ernesto Alfredo Pinon de la Cruz, also referred to as “El Neto”. Pinon is a high gunman for the Los Mexicles cartel from Juarez, Safety Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez stated on the press convention.
Federal authorities had been known as in to include the unrest. They later discovered a “VIP zone” within the state jail with medication and cash, stated Rodriguez, who has criticized Chihuahua’s state administration.
“The state is liable for that as a result of federal authorities can not intervene in these locations,” Rodriguez stated.
She added that state authorities haven’t required harmful prisoners like “El Neto” to be moved from the overcrowded jail to a safer location.
Prosecutor Roberto Javier Duarte stated in a separate press briefing on Monday that in response to the assault, state authorities would “utterly purge the penitentiary system” and prosecute these responsible of corruption.
Sunday’s incident led to one of many highest demise tolls from jail assaults in Mexico in recent times.