Mexican authorities are still on the hunt for more than two dozen escaped inmates after a prison riot in Ciudad Juarez last week.
On Monday, the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office confirmed the operation carried out by state, federal, and military forces to capture 26 inmates on the run, El Diario de Juarez reported.
The manhunt includes street patrols, highway checkpoints, and personnel posted at bus stations and the Juarez International Airport.
On January 1, inmates began fighting inside the prison while an armored cartel convoy stormed the perimeter. Fourteen died during the riot, including 10 guards.
According to El Diario de Juarez, authorities caught one inmate recently when he tried to cross into El Paso. On January 5, authorities confirmed the death of Ernesto Alfredo “El Neto” Piñón de la Cruz, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel-tied Mexicles gang. Authorities believe the breakout was a rescue operation for El Neto.
After his escape, El Neto hid at a stash house in Juarez. The gang leader tried to escape and sustained serious injuries during a clash with authorities upon discovery, the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office revealed. He reportedly died en route to a hospital.
Authorities have since caught two other inmates, however, little information has been released.
Editor’s Note: Breitbart Texas traveled to Mexico City and the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo León to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives and expose the cartels silencing their communities. The writers would face certain death at the hands of the various cartels that operate in those areas including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas if a pseudonym were not used. Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles are published in both English and in their original Spanish. This article was written by “E.F. Robles” from Jalisco.