Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua — A total of 17 inmates have been confirmed killed and 27 missing after a possible prison heist in the state of Chihuahua. On Sunday, the Attorney General’s Office of Chihuahua confirmed 17 killed as a result of an armed attack that led to a riot and a subsequent escape of prisoners in a prison in Ciudad Juárez.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, among the dead are 10 prison security and custody officials and seven prisoners. In addition, there are 10 injured inmates and at least 27 escapees, who authorities say, took advantage of the situation to carry out actions against antagonistic groups.
The Prosecutor’s Office reported that the armed attack started around 7:00 a.m. when armed subjects aboard armored vehicles arrived at the prison and attacked security agents.
Since the Sunday riot at the Social Readaptation Center (Cereso) number 3 in Ciudad Juárez, the SSPC has confirmed that Ernesto Alfredo Piñón, leader of Los Mexicles criminal gang, was one of those who escaped from the Chihuahua prison.
They have also reported that a safe with more than a million peso in cash was found inside the prison, money whose origin remains unknown.
Rosa Icela Rodríguez, head of the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), reported during a press conference that at the time of the events, five alleged perpetrators were arrested, while the 27 others managed to escape from the prison.
During a press conference Monday, the Secretary of National Defense, Luis Cresencio Sandoval, said that it is possible that the riot was provoked to free Ernesto Alfredo Piñón.
The attack happened at 7:00 a.m. Sunday just as the prison was readying to open for a day of visitors. The heavily armed group were waiting outside the prison aboard several armored vehicles.
They immediately opened fire on the guards who were at the prison access point from where they moved in and began to remove a group of inmates.
