Mexican forces killed 19 suspected drug cartel gunmen during a shootout in Sinaloa without suffering any casualties, according to Mexico’s Defense Department, AP News reports.
The confrontation occurred near Culiacan after troops detained a top lieutenant of the “Mayitos” faction, aligned with imprisoned drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada. The army reported being attacked by over 30 assailants and responded in self-defense, killing 19, while 11 managed to escape. The army seized 17 rifles and four machine guns at the scene.
This incident follows a rise in violence between rival factions of the Sinaloa cartel, particularly after Zambada’s recent claims of being kidnapped and turned in to US authorities by Joaquín Guzmán López, leader of the rival “Chapitos” faction.
