An armed confrontation between rival criminal groups in Jerez, Zacatecas, left five people dead, reported in a video posted on social media by Zacatecas Secretary General of Government Rodrigo Reyes Mugüerza.
One gunman was killed during the clash, while the other four were shot dead by National Guard personnel after attempting to flee in a vehicle. According to Reyes Mugüerza, the alleged gunmen attacked the officers.
“These four individuals were armed and attacked National Guard personnel, who had to respond to the attack and shot the four armed civilians dead,” the Secretary General of Government stated.
The institutions that make up the Peacebuilding Committee immediately deployed an operation to reinforce the presence of security forces in the municipality.
So far, authorities have not reported which criminal group the individuals involved in the confrontation belonged to.
The situation in Jerez is under control, although the State Attorney General’s Office continues its investigation alongside the other security institutions.
“In the case of Jerez, the situation is currently reported as under control,” he stated.
The official asked residents to remain calm and allow security forces to carry out their work and move their units through the area.
The state Attorney General’s Office and the institutions that make up the Peacebuilding Committee will continue carrying out investigative procedures to clarify what happened.
Attack Against Jerez Official Denied
Hours earlier, when the attack in Jerez was first reported, a preliminary version circulated claiming that a municipal official had been targeted in an attack.
Reyes Mugüerza later denied that information and explained that authorities contacted the mayor of Jerez, Rodrigo Ureño Bañuelos, as well as the official in question, who confirmed that they were both safe.
“Both have stated that this was not a direct attack against any municipal official, and both are safe,” he said in his first statement.
The state government urged the public to avoid spreading unverified reports while the operation was underway.
Authorities are also maintaining an operation in Juchipila, led by the state Public Security Secretariat with the participation of the institutions that make up the Peacebuilding Committee.
Reyes Mugüerza reported that at least eight people were arrested during the operation in Juchipila, in addition to vehicles and firearms being seized.
In the update, he again highlighted the operation carried out by the Public Security Secretariat and stated that “a significant number of people” had been arrested, without providing a new figure.
The official did not establish a connection between the arrests in Juchipila and the confrontation reported in Jerez.
Reyes Mugüerza acknowledged the participation of the National Guard, the Public Security Secretariat, and the State Attorney General’s Office in the operations and stated that the actions are part of the work of the Peacebuilding Committee to advance the pacification process in Zacatecas.
Source: elfinanciero
