Mexico: 14 Killed As Gunmen Strike Prison In Ciudad Juarez

Ten security guards and four inmates were killed in Mexico's Ciudad Juarez after gunmen attacked the state prison, according to Mexican local newspaper Reforma.

"So far, the investigative authority has documented the death of 14 people, including 10 prison security and custody officers and 4 people deprived of liberty," the Chihuahua Prosecutor's Office reported.

The mishap occurred around the time when the family visited to meet their members, which is approximately 7 am. Gunmen arrived in vehicles at the Penitentiary Center, where they shot at the security officers. In the confusion and panic of relatives, 24 inmates escaped from the prison.

"According to the first inquiries, around 7:00 am, armed with firearms and on board armoured vehicles, they arrived at the Penitentiary Center, where they shot at the security officers. Minutes before what happened, it was reported in the Avenida Manuel Gomez Morin, an armed attack against elements of the Municipal Police, in which, after a chase, four men were captured and a Ford Expedition truck was seized," Reforma quoted Prosecutor's Office as saying.

"Later, on Panamericana Avenue, preventive agents repelled the armed aggression of two crew members of a Hummer-type vehicle, who were shot down," the Prosecutor's Office detailed.

Also Read: Mexico: Gunmen Open Fire In Bar, Leave 9 Bodies Behind

In Cereso there are members of the criminal organizations "Gente Nueva" and "La Linea", armed wings of the Sinaloa and Juarez cartels, respectively.

The Chihuahua Police indicated that the personnel of the Northern Zone and the Undersecretary of the General Staff are in coordination with elements of the Secretary of National Defense (Sedena), the National Guard (GN), the State Attorney General's Office (FGE) and the Juarez Municipal Public Security Secretariat at the prison facilities to maintain control of the situation.

Moreover, the security corporations of the 3 levels of government are deployed in the streets of Ciudad Juarez, reported Reforma.

"The SSPE, through the Undersecretariat for Police Deployment, sent State Police personnel from the Central-South Zone and the Western Zone to support the operations in Ciudad Juarez."

(With inputs from ANI)

Also Read: Mexico: Mayor Among 18 Casualties As Gunmen Opened Fire In Guerrero