Mexico: 4 Police Officers Injured After Gunfight With Possible Sinaloa Cartel Members in Mexico City
A shootout happened between Mexico City police and possible members of the Sinaloa Cartel in the town of Topilejo, near Mexico City's southern edge. City police chief Omar Garcia Harfuch said that four police officers were injured during the gunfight, one of them seriously wounded.
According to the Associated Press, more than a dozen gunmen armed with grenades, a machine gun, and a .50 caliber sniper rifle engaged the police in the gun battle. 150 police officers, soldiers, and three helicopters also participated in the operation, Harfuch said.
Police Rescue Two Kidnap Victims From Gunmen
Chief Garcia Harfuch said that local residents reported armed men were holding possibly kidnapped people in the area. This prompted the police to conduct the operation in Topilejo. Kidnap gangs and other criminals have long used the mountains on the city's southern edge as hideouts.
Following the operation, police rescued the two kidnap victims, who were apparently being held there against their will, according to Garcia Harfuch. The police chief also added that they found "a considerable amount of drugs" near the abandoned restaurant which the gang was using as their safe house. He did not mention what type of drugs were found near the safehouse.
The gunmen opened fire on the police as they drove past the safe house while on a highway leading to the city of Cuernavaca. The police fought back and managed to capture 14 suspects after the operation.
The Independent reported that the 14 captured gunmen may be working for the Sinaloa Cartel, which is currently the richest drug syndicate in Mexico, as the police noted that these kidnappings were not carried out for ransom.
Mexico City Police Chief Omar Garcia Harfuch Survives Deadly Gun Battles With the Cartels
It is not just the Sinaloa Cartel, whose modus operandi fits the kidnapping of the two victims well, that Chief Omar Garcia Harfuch is known for dealing with. The Mexico City police chief has gained quite the reputation in the country for his frequent run-ins with Mexico's various drug cartels.
He gained notoriety in Mexico when gunmen possibly belonging to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel ambushed him and his bodyguards while traveling inside an armored vehicle.
The attack left his two bodyguards, as well as one bystander dead. He survived but was sent to the hospital with three bullet wounds.
In an interview with El Pais regarding the ambush, he said that the attack radically altered his existence, as he now has no social life and cannot see his daughters because it might endanger them. Following the attack, he vowed to be more active and more motivated than ever in their efforts to reduce crime.
He admitted that it is not finding his attackers and finishing them off that he is obsessed with, but reducing crime in Mexico City.
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Written by: Rick Martin
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