Inmates Overpower Guards in Mexican Cartel Prison Riot

A cartel power struggle inside a state prison in central Mexico set off a fierce riot where inmates were able to completely overpower guards, take them captive, and continue fighting. The riot ended with six dead inmates–including a lieutenant with the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG).

The riot broke out on Wednesday morning at the Atlacholoaya prison in the state of Morelos. According to information released by state authorities, the six inmates died from stab wounds.

A series of photographs allegedly taken by the inmates and leaked to social media revealed the carnage.

Additional photos shared on social media by Mexican journalists revealed the inmates managed to subdue the guards and take them hostage. One of the dead was identified as Raymundo Isidro “El Ray” Castro Salgado, a leading member of the CJNG.

Lo dije hace unas semanas con @beltrandelrio y lo repetiré cuantas veces sea necesario: no hay planes para uso legítimo y eficaz de la fuerza pública para la restauración del orden en centros penitenciarios.#Atlacholoaya pic.twitter.com/kVshIYl8d5

— Daniel Gómez-Tagle (@dgtagle) October 30, 2019

According to El Universal, El Ray was the plaza boss in Morelos for CJNG. Authorities arrested him in August. He was the target of an assassination attempt in April where rival gunmen fired into a bar, injuring and killing several innocent bystanders.

Law enforcement sources say the the riot was a power grab by a rival organization that ended when that group managed to kill El Ray and take over the facility. However, state officials publicly claimed the riot started as a fight over a theft incident. Authorities held a news conference Wednesday afternoon and stated the inmates were not in control of the prison, but additional measures would be taken to avoid future violence.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.