Mexico

12 Dead After Attempted Prison Break of Cartel Hitman

JAN 22 2024·Updated FEB 7 2024

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Image credit: Manuel Velasquez/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images South America

The Facts

Mexican authorities on Sunday said at least 12 died after an armed group allegedly tried to rescue Carlos Humberto, the son of the alleged Sinaloa cartel hitman Jesus Humberto Limon.
Reuters
Seven other suspected criminals reportedly escaped the armed struggle, which took place on a route near Hermosillo.
A24
The attempted rescue — which occurred minutes after Humberto was detained in the state of Sonora for "crimes against health" — resulted in 12 members of the group being killed, two security officers being hospitalized, and tactical gear, ammunition, and 21 assault weapons being discovered.
Reuters
This comes as other parts of the country — including the state of Chiapas — have recently endured violence between the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels. Pres. Andrés Manuel López Obrador called on citizens Friday not to support the cartels or oppose the building of government barracks in their towns. He added that some civilians have taken part in the cartels' social media advertising "out of fear."
ap
The Mexican government is also awaiting a court hearing in the US over whether or not gun manufacturers are responsible for arms trafficking across the US-Mexico border.
Reuters

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The Spin

Left narrative

US gun makers and relaxed US laws governing them are to blame for this violence. While gun manufacturers rake in profits — particularly in red states, where there are minimal background check laws — the products they sell are trafficked to the criminal organizations we read about in the news, making everyone less safe.

Everytown

Right narrative

Strict gun laws in the US wouldn't change anything because the US government has cooperated with the cartels since the beginning of the so-called war on drugs. US officials made deals with arms traffickers to achieve short-term success and arrests, but the cartels gradually grew to the point where they're uncontrollable today.

Office of Senator Chuck Grassley