Sinaloa: Cessna stopped while carrying weapons to Los Chapitos

Borderland Beat Guest reporter Siskiyoukid From Riodoce

BB Note:  The war between the Chapitos and Beltran Leyva presented itself in June, when the home of El Chapo’s mother came under attack.  It was largely assumed that the perpetrators were Beltran Leyva.  Since that date the conflict has heated up to a full struggle for power and control of the region. The theory is Beltran Leyva initiated the attack to force a “show down” with El Chapo’s people and gain greater control of  territory in the region. Each group is from the region and has controlled areas.  This week Chapitos took control of  Huixiopa in Badiraguato, which was controlled by Beltrn Leyva.

Because of the money seized, (the amount of money they concede was in the plane) and the few quantity of weapons, it is more likely that the shipment was already dropped and was stopped after the delivery.....Article begins below

A military operation in Culiacan resulted in the confiscation of weapons slated for Los Chapitos, group of organized crime operating in this city.

The delivery was tracked from its departure point identified as Mexicali, Baja California.  Around 150 soldiers, members of five reaction teams, participated in tracking and seizing the shipment.

General Alfonso Duarte Mugica confirmed that at 10:00 on Wednesday, they arrested the first civilian, who was driving a Chevy Silverado Pickup truck and from whom they secured three short weapons [pistols].

The Commander of the third Military Region said that this was the first indication of a delivery that was coming in.

At 11:30 Wednesday morning the Cessna small plane, registration XB-MUG, white with blue stripes, was intercepted at a landing strip in the town of Benito Juárez.

At the time of being encircled by the military, the pilot tried to take off, but one of the military trucks intercepted it, hitting one of the wings, destabilizing it and stopping it from fleeing.

With this maneuver two soldiers ended up with injuries and burns. The injuries sustained are not considered serious.

The pilot and four crew members were arrested and placed at the disposal of the PGR [Attorney General's Office], as well as weapons that were seized, consisting of  a Barrett rifle 50 caliber rifle, four AK47 automatic rifles, and five packages of 500 Peso bills that were sealed in plastic, totaling 700 thousand pesos. (35k USD)

Official sources claim that the conspirators intended to enter Culiacan with weapons and money, for work with the sons of Joaquin Guzman Loera, El Chapo.

The detainees were identified as Hector "n", who is from Angostura and who showed his pilot's license.

The crew were identified as Daniel "N" and Marco Antonio "N", both originating of Culiacan, as well as Carlos Martin "N", originally of Caborca, Sonora and Jose "N", of Altar, Sonora.