MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – A prison face-off between members of two rival cartels in the Mexican border city of Juarez caused a riot and shootouts that killed 11 people, most of them civilians, authorities said on Friday.
Los Chapos, members of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel formerly led by Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, and local group Los Mexicles, clashed in a prison Thursday afternoon, Deputy Security Minister Ricardo Mejia said.
A riot then broke out, leaving two shot to death and four injured with bullet wounds, Mejia said, speaking alongside Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at a regular news conference. Another 16 were injured in the fighting, he said.
Officials did not say what caused the clash.
Following the riot, the Mexicles rampaged in the city, authorities said, killing nine civilians. Among them were four employees of a radio station, including one announcer, Mejia said.
Around 1 a.m. Friday morning, six alleged members of Mexicles were arrested by local police, with help from the Army and National Guard, Mejia said.
“(Juarez) Mayor Cruz Perez has let us know that (the city) is now in a state of calm; public order has been reestablished,” Mejia said.
Officials said they do not believe the death of the radio announcer, Alan Gonzalez, was related to his profession. Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists.
“We hope it doesn’t happen again, because innocent people were attacked,” Lopez Obrador said.
(Reporting by Kylie Madry; Editing by Ros Russell)
