Cartel gunmen in the northwestern state of Durango carried out an ambush on two state patrol vehicles in Mezquital early Thursday morning. The attack left two officers dead and four wounded approximately 50 miles from the state capital.
When 11 state police officers conducting a patrol in two marked vehicles near San Francisco de Ocotán came under heavy cartel gunfire, they returned fire, according to Breitbart News’ law enforcement sources. The confrontation ended after the cartel gunmen fled, leaving two state police officers (SSP) dead and four seriously wounded, according to a statement released by Durango Governor José Rosas Aispuro Torres. Gov. Aispuro Torres stated that additional state and federal forces will be deploying to the area to help locate those responsible for the attack and establish security in the affected area.
Colonel Jesús Antonio Hernández Macías, commander of the National Guard in Durango, said the contingent of 700 personnel is already present and will be collaborating with the state, federal and military forces in a joint effort to fight back against organized crime. Jesús Arévalo Espinosa, commander of the 10th Military Zone of the Mexican Army (SEDENA), said his personnel would support investigative elements from the state attorney general’s office in identifying and capturing those responsible. The two state police officers were later identified as Othoniel Almanza Olvera and José Cruz González.
On February 22, cartel gunmen carried out an attack on eight state police officers patrolling in the same municipality, according to local reports. That incident also resulted in the death of two officers.
According to Breitbart News’ local law enforcement sources, investigators suspect criminal elements in the area aligned with the Sinaloa Cartel may be responsible for both attacks. The presence of “Los Cabrera,” an enforcement wing of the Sinaloa Cartel, has a well-defined operational track record in the region.
Robert Arce is a retired Phoenix Police detective with extensive experience working Mexican organized crime and street gangs. Arce has worked in the Balkans, Iraq, Haiti, and recently completed a three-year assignment in Monterrey, Mexico, working out of the Consulate for the United States Department of State, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Program, where he was the Regional Program Manager for Northeast Mexico (Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas.) You can follow him on Twitter. He can be reached at robertrarce@gmail.com.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.