Authorities transfer inmates from Ciudad Juarez to other prisons
(Picture: REUTERS)At least seven people have been killed in a shootout after a Mexican cartel broke their leader out of prison.
Two state investigators trying to find the escapees were killed in the shootout and they managed to shoot dead five, reports said.
It is not clear if any of the escapees were among the gunmen killed.
It came in the wake of Sunday’s attack in Ciudad Juárez which left 10 guards and seven inmates dead - the deadliest prison break in recent memory.
Around 30 inmates managed to escape in the attack which saw gunmen turn up in armored vehicles and fire on the jail entrance and inside dormitories.
Security Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez identified the inmates who escaped as being with the Mexicles gang, which she associated with the Caborca Cartel.
She said the Mexicles’ leader was among the fugitives. The Mexicles have been one of Juarez’s main gangs for decades and for many years were known to work with the Sinaloa Cartel.
Their leader known as El Neto, 33, has been in prison for 14 years serving a sentence for kidnapping and murder. An attempt by his gang to free him during a prison transfer in 2010 failed and he was injured.
The Caborca Cartel had been led by drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero who was recaptured in July.
Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval said the soldiers and state police who retook control of the prison found 10 “VIP” cells outfitted with televisions and other comforts. One even had a safe filled with cash.
Authorities also found cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and marijuana inside the prison.
Sandoval said two other gunmen killed after attacking local police a short time before the attack on the prison were likely a diversion. They were not included in the 17 dead, which were made up of 10 guards and seven inmates.
