Authorities in Mexico fired the top prison official in the border state of Chihuahua and placed him under investigation after a breakout of 30 inmates on New Year’s Day. The chaos killed 14, ten of which were guards.
This week, the government of Chihuahua announced the dismissal of Luis Alfonso Harris Arrondo, general director for the state prison system. According to La Verdad de Juarez, Harris Arredondo is also under investigation for the riot and breakout at the CERESO#3 prison in Ciudad Juarez.
The firing comes days after state officials also removed Alejandro Alvarado Tellez, the director of the state prison at the time of the riot. Alvarado Tellez is also a target of the investigation.
On New Year’s Day, members of the Mexicles gang, associated with the Sinaloa Cartel, started a riot as allied gunmen in an armored convoy stormed the prison. Mexicles leader Ernesto Alfredo “El Neto” Piñón de la Cruz escaped with 29 inmates. Authorities caught up with him and killed him during a shootout days later.
After the breakout, authorities discovered deluxe prison cells with hot tubs, liquor cabinets, large screen TVs, weapons, phones, and drugs.
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 and “C.P. Mireles” from Tamaulipas.