Gunmen from the Sinaloa Cartel dumped bodies, torched vehicles, and fought with authorities, spreading terror through the state of Zacatecas during the last four days. Government officials claim that the fierce violence is tied to the killing of a local cartel leader.
The most recent bouts of violence took place on Wednesday morning in the state of Zacatecas where gunmen dumped several bodies in the town of Morelos, Zacatecas, El Sol de Mexico reported. Gunmen also blocked off one of the main highways, carjacked tractor-trailers, and deployed dozens of makeshift road spikes. The number of bodies recovered remains unknown, but since Sunday, gunmen have dumped more than ten bodies in various parts of the state.
The violence in Zacatecas is tied to the arrests of more than 26 cartel gunmen and the killing of a regional boss for the Sinaloa Cartel, Proceso reported. The gunmen are primarily from Sinaloa and Durango and have been waging a turf war with rival criminal organizations. Government officials in Zacatecas claim that the captured gunmen have been linked to numerous murders and abductions.
The violence began on Sunday and continued into Monday with several shootouts, blockades, and the arrest of several gunmen, Breitbart Texas reported. According to Proceso, during the first shootout on Sunday, authorities shot and killed a cartel figure called El Gordo, or the fat one. While his name was not released, government officials claimed that El Gordo was responsible for ordering a spike in abductions and killings tied to an ongoing turf war.
In a recent interview, Zacatecas Governor David Monreal Avila said that the violence in his state this week was a natural response from organized crime to effective police work and it was the cost of restoring peace in the region.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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