A violent confrontation near Culiacán, the capital of Mexico’s Sinaloa state, left 19 suspected gang members dead and resulted in the arrest of a local cartel leader, the Mexican defense ministry reported on Tuesday. The shootout occurred on Monday about 11 kilometers from Culiacán when a group of more than 30 armed individuals opened fire on soldiers. The soldiers returned fire, forcing some of the attackers to flee.
The arrested individual, identified as Edwin Antonio “N” (commonly done to protect the accused in Mexico), was described as a local leader of the Sinaloa Cartel faction led by Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, one of the cartel’s co-founders. Official documents listed Edwin Antonio Rubio Lopez as having been apprehended by military forces in Sinaloa on October 22. Along with the arrest, authorities seized seven vehicles, nearly 30 firearms, including machine guns, and military-style vests and helmets.
Violence in Sinaloa has escalated since the arrest of Zambada in late July. The cartel veteran, believed to be in his 70s, was reportedly kidnapped by a senior member of Los Chapitos, another faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, and flown to the U.S. against his will. Security analysts believe the ongoing violence, which has claimed around 200 lives and left over 300 missing since early September, is a result of growing conflict between these two rival factions within the cartel.
