Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua — One of the prisoners who escaped Cereso No. 3 in Ciudad Juárez Sunday, was killed early Thursday morning by authorities. The Chihuahua State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) reported the death of Ernesto Alberto Piñón de La Cruz, leader of Los Mexicles criminal group.
In a statement released by the Governor of Chihuahua, María Eugenia Campos, he was killed during a police search operation for the escaped prisoners Thursday. Piñón de La Cruz was wounded during a shootout with police and later died when authorities located the whereabouts of several of the escaped prisoners.
Piñón de La Cruz was the leader of Los Mexicles criminal group, a group related to the Caborca Cartel, which is a splinter of the Sinaloa Cartel.
On January 1, an armed attack against the prison resulted in a riot that left 17 dead and at least 27 escapees. The following day, authorities reported their investigation had lead them to believe the attack was a heist to free Piñón de La Cruz who was serving a sentence of more than 200 years.
