A soldier was killed after Mexico's Army fought against a group of hitmen loyal to four sons of Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera in a deadly shootout. The gunfight reportedly happened in broad daylight in the city of Altar in Mexico's Sonora state on Saturday.

According to Daily Mail, the gun battle was sparked by the arrest of 31-year-old Francisco "El Duranguillo" Torres, the leader of the Gente Nueva, the armed wing of the Sinaloa cartel faction controlled by El Chapo's sons, known as Los Chapitos.

In a press briefing on Monday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said El Duranguillo's arrest spread quickly, and the soldiers were surrounded by 10 or 15 pickup trucks and 60 gunmen.

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Mexico's President Praises Soldiers for Their Bravery in Fighting Sinaloa Cartel Hitmen Loyal to El Chapo's Sons

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador noted that the assailants outnumbered the soldiers 10 to one. He added that the drug cartel members tried bribing the soldiers with $500,000 to release El Duranguillo at first. However, the soldiers refused, which resulted in the gun battle.

Sadly, one soldier was killed. However, the president and Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo applauded the soldiers' efforts as they still fought on even when surrounded by the gunmen, and some criminals were arrested.

According to the president, several gunmen blocked the main roads in Altar, Caborca, and Pitiquito in their effort to surround the soldiers and free leader of Gente Nueva. However, the soldiers managed to defeat their assailants and even capture some cartel members after the reinforcements arrived.

A video clip recorded by a resident showed two soldiers placing El Duranguillo under arrest. The gunmen were also seen fleeing the scene as the military returned fire. Some hitmen were crawling through the street while the rest ran.

'El Duranguillo' Led the Sinaloa Cartel's Armed Wing Called Gente Nueva Run by El Chapo's Sons

El Duranguillo is no ordinary cartel leader, as he leads the Sinaloa Cartel's armed wing called Gente Nueva, which is controlled by El Chapo's sons. Authorities said his arrest was a big blow to the cartel.

Infobae reported that three other Gente Nueva members were also arrested following the shootout. They have been identified as Ausencio Aboytes, Juan Sánchez and Jesús Espinosa.

El Duranguillo and the three other men will be investigated for crimes committed against public servants, murder, attempted murder, organized crime, and possession of military weapons. 

Mexican soldiers also recovered at least seven assault rifles belonging to Gente Nueva members after the gun battle. The Gente Nueva largely controls the city of Altar, often using the municipality as a staging ground for immigrant and drug smuggling operations. 

The group was formed in 1995 amid the war between the Sinaloa Cartel and the Juarez Cartel. The Gente Nueva was the counterpart of the Juarez Cartel's armed wing, the La Linea.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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