And armed assault of suspected criminals once morest a prison of the Mexican Ciudad Juárez let 14 muertos, including 10 guards, and 24 escaped inmates this Sunday, reported the Chihuahua state prosecutor’s office, bordering the United States.
It “has been documented death of 14 people, including 10 officers security and penitentiary custody and four people deprived of liberty; what’s more, 13 injured and at least 24 escaped”The Chihuahua state prosecutor’s office reported in a statement.
The attack occurred at dawn, when armed men arrived at the prison aboard armored vehicles and they opened fire on the guards at times when some relatives waited to enterr to the compound for the new year visit.
According to the first investigations, the armed assault was aimed at facilitate the escape of a group of prisoners. After the assault, state police with the help of the military carried out four arrests, added the prosecution without specifying whether they are escaped prisoners or attackers.
Local media reports indicate that inside the prison some inmates would have mutinied, setting fire to various objects and confronting prison guards.
According to these versions, outside the prison the shooting unleashed scenes of panic among the residents while the mayor’s office asked not to approach the area.
The prosecutor’s office reported that the security forces managed to control the situation in the prison some five hours later that the attack broke out.
In the prison of this border town, crucial for the drug trafficking to the United Statesmembers of the armed forces of the posters of Sinaloa and Juarez, confronted for control of the area for more than fifteen years.
This state prison has been the scene of various fights and riotsincluding one that left 20 dead in March 2009one of the bloodiest.
In August 2022, a confrontation between rival gangs left three prisoners dead. In February 2016, as part of his visit to Mexico, the Pope Francis officiated mass in the courtyard of this prison in front of 700 prisoners and their families. He called on them not to lose hope and to help stop the violence.
According to a report from the State Human Rights Commission last February, more than 3,700 people when its capacity is 3,135.
This prison depends on the government of Chihuahua. The federal prison, where the Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman before being extradited to the United States in 2017, it was closed two years ago due to its poor performance.
Detention centers in Mexico, mainly state ones, suffer chronic problems of overcrowding and violence, that have worsened in recent years due to conflicts between criminal groups.
According to official figures, Mexico registers more than 340,000 homicides, most attributed to criminal organizations, since the launch of a controversial military anti-drug offensive in December 2006.
