An effort to save the kid of a cartel hitman was allegedly prevented when at least 12 suspected criminals were slain on a highway close to Hermosillo in the northern Mexican state of Sonora, according to a state official on Sunday.
The state attorney’s office in Sonora sent a statement saying that seven more people had escaped and that some of them were likely injured. The number of deaths was confirmed to Reuters by a spokeswoman.
The statement further stated that two security officials who were injured in the crossfire are presently in stable condition after being hospitalized.
The agency stated that it believed the group, carrying assault rifles, was trying to free Jesus Humberto Limon’s son, a possible hitman employed by the sons of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s Sinaloa Cartel faction.
It added, without providing more information, that Carlos Humberto, the son of the alleged hitman, had been arrested minutes earlier for “crimes against health” in Camino del Seri.
Government agents were the target of an attack on Saturday afternoon, according to the attorney’s office, on a roadway that connected the state capital of Hermosillo with the Pacific coast community of Bahia de Kino. However, the attack was repelled by security authorities.
21 assault weapons, including AK-47s and AR-15s, chargers, bulletproof jackets, a camouflage outfit, six contemporary vans, and a “considerable” amount of ammo were found by security personnel.
This is happening while the Mexican government gets ready for a long-awaited court hearing on February 22 over an appeal that aims to hold gun manufacturers accountable in a U.S. court for armaments that are transported across the border to criminal organizations.
