Newsman: A riot in one of Mexico’s most notorious prisons turned into a deadly jailbreak on Sunday.
At least 14 people were killed in a brazen armed assault on a prison and at least 24 escaped inmates are now on the loose. “ At least 14 people were killed in a brazen armed assault on a prison in the Mexican border city of Juarez on Sunday,” office ials said. Government officials have said that the prison is known to be run by members of an organized crime group known as the Mexicles. Over the years, this group has planned and ordered attacks on the city of Juárez from inside the prison, according to officials.
The Chihuahua state attorney general’s office said in a statement that 10 security guards and four prisoners were killed and 13 others were injured.
The state prosecutor said in a statement that the Mexican military, the national guard and local police now had the situation under control as of Sunday afternoon.
The prison riot took place in Ciudad Juárez, a northern border city. The mayor of Juárez, Cruz Pérez Cuéllar, told local media that armed gunmen had entered the prison.
The incident began around 7 a.m. (9 a.m. ET) on Sunday when gunmen in armored vehicles arrived at the prison and opened fire on security personnel, the prosecutor’s office said.
Authorities said inmates took advantage of the situation and 24 prisoners escaped.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack.
The Cereso state prison, located in the city, is considered to be one of Latin America’s most dangerous institutions. Deadly prison riots are commonplace: including one in 2009, where 20 people died, and another in 2011, where 17 people died.
In August, Mexican army soldiers and the National Guard guard were called in to help after three people died in a prison gang brawl, according to the El Paso Times.
