So far in 2016, violence in Sinaloa has escalated, and in the last 15 days, homicides, armed attacks, disappearances, and arrests have been reported, according to a tally of high-impact events.
On January 28, members of the Citizens’ Movement party, Elizabeth Rafaela Montoya Ojeda and Sergio Torres Félix, were shot as they left the State Congress building. Torres Félix was seriously wounded and remains hospitalized; Montoya Ojeda was discharged after undergoing medical procedures but lost an eye.
Regarding this case, the federal Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, reported that a cell of the “Los Chapitos” criminal group was identified as responsible for the attack. A week later, the capture of Jesús Emir “El Compa Güero” and/or “Radio 13” was reported. He is believed to have controlled communication radios, installed cameras to monitor the movements of authorities, and acquired drones for the cell.
During the same period, the disappearance of 10 workers from the Vizsla Silver Corp mine in the municipality of Concordia was reported. Family members indicated that the abduction occurred on January 23, although the official report was released on the 28th. Following an operation involving state and federal forces, clandestine graves were located on February 6 near a ranch in the community of El Verde, where several bodies were recovered.
On February 8, the identity of the first miner, José Ángel Hernández Vélez, was confirmed, and on February 9, the identities of four others were reported: Ignacio Aurelio Salazar Flores, José Antonio Jiménez Nevárez, Jesús Antonio de la O Valdez, and José Castañeda Hernández. The state attorney general, Claudia Zulema Sánchez Kondo, later reported the discovery of other graves in the same community and indicated that two sets of human remains were found and are currently being identified.
In parallel with the investigations into the Concordia case, three men and one woman were arrested during air and ground operations. They were found in possession of weapons, ammunition magazines, and tactical vests and were turned over to the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic to determine if they are connected to the disappearance of the mining workers.
In Mazatlán, on February 3, missing persons alerts were issued for four tourists from the State of Mexico who, according to reports, had been abducted on a beach. A woman and a minor who were with them were abandoned several kilometers away and later rescued. Relatives of the missing held a protest in Mexico City to demand their safe return and progress in the investigations, as well as requesting a meeting with Attorney General Omar García Harfuch.
On February 10, the disappearance of five men was reported while they were traveling on the Los Mochis-Ahome highway. It was also reported that a woman identified as Yuri “N” was kidnapped along with them and released shortly afterward with injuries. The day before, the body of a murder victim was found in the trunk of a pickup truck in front of the Faculty of Agronomy at the Autonomous University of Sinaloa. The following day, the state prosecutor’s office identified the victim as Sergio Cázares Zambada, the nephew of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
This Wednesday, February 11, the Mexican Navy reported an armed attack in the community of El Limoncito, in the municipality of Jesús María. Omar García Harfuch stated that after repelling the attack, nine people were arrested and one was killed. High-caliber weapons, grenade launchers, grenades, explosive devices, vehicles, and tactical equipment were also seized. He assured that the operations would continue unabated.
Source: vanguardia
