A group of ten state police officers in the Chihuahua region near the Mexican border report that they were overwhelmed and assaulted by over 80 gunmen linked to the Sinaloan cartel. Although government officials attempted to downplay the incident, it appears to be related to a drug load theft.
This event took place on August 24, and details only emerged this week after the officers submitted a formal complaint to the Chihuahua Attorney General. Reports from El Diario de Juarez have surfaced, despite officials denying any claims that officers were attacked or taken hostage, seemingly to suppress coverage of the incident.
According to reports, around 80 armed men in 20 SUVs surrounded the officers, confiscated their weapons, and physically assaulted them for several hours.
There seem to be conflicting accounts of what happened. One version claims that the officers had halted a vehicle in which a man identified himself as the son of Ventura “El 35” Coral Felix, the head of the armed faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, classified by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization. Soon after, the officers found themselves outnumbered, beaten as a “lesson,” and were eventually permitted to leave with their equipment.
The other version attributes the attack to Ventura Felix, who allegedly ordered the officers’ assault. Sources indicate that he was furious because another police unit had stolen a drug shipment from a tractor trailer that he was operating. The abduction and beating of the officers were perceived as a warning to that group.
This incident arises amid ongoing U.S. pressure on the Mexican government to take action against drug cartels. Due to rampant corruption among Mexican political and law enforcement elites, drug cartels continue to operate with minimal repercussions across the nation.
