Drugs, Alcohol, parties and prostitutes in the prison at Culiacan where 5 capos escaped

Translated by Otis B Fly-Wheel for Borderland Beat from a Zetatijuana article

Subject Matter: Culiacan Prison
Recommendation: See link to article on the escape by 5 prisoners

Reporter: Carlos Alvarez
Luxeries, excess and parties, is what its like to live inside the Culiacan prison, where this past Thursday Juan Jose Esparragoza Monzon "El Azulito", Alfonso Limon Sanchez "El Limon", Jesus Pena Gonzalez, "El 20", Rafael Guadalupe Felix Nunez "El Changuito Antrax and Javier Zazueta Rosales "El Pancho Chimal" escaped.

The daily newspapers in circulation El Universal and Reforma informed that the closed circuit tv cameras inside the Aguaruto prison, captured the prisoners with cellular telephones, consuming marijuana and cocaine, cells with flat screen TV's, prostitutes coming into the prison and a party a day before the escape of the five capos.

The festivities inside the prison were carried out with music, alcohol and drugs, according to Reforma a group of familiars of prisoners in modules 7 and 5 of the prison, where the capos were housed, were the governors of the prison for Jesus Alfredo and Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, sons of Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, alias El Chapo, and also for Ismael Zambada Garcia "El Mayo".

Before the party, indicated a rotary, on Tuesday, they changed some of the prisoners inside the modules, because they were grouping together associates of Ivan Archivaldo Guzman and Ismael Zambada. Already in the party, the prisoners were shouting threats to people inside and outside of the prison.

They were triggering a rally of violence, which was halted by the prison guards who were in charge, the newspaper said, and according to sources of public safety, among the inmates a rumour was circulating that was spread to create a confrontation, and that any situation that would put them in danger would be avoided.

The alleged offenders went out the front door, according to the Governor of Sinaloa, Quirino Ordaz Coppel, who also noticed that the capos operated and worked from inside the Culiacan prison.

Although the State agent accused authorities of complicity, so far no details have been given of what happened prior to the escape, on the grounds that it is reserved information in the ongoing investigation of the Attorney Generals Office (PGR).

According to Reforma, although they were highly dangerous, the five escaped prisoners enjoyed privileges, such as alcohol and drug use, open hours for visitors and could remain outside of their cells without limitation.

Prisoners rooms at Culiacan prison

For their part, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), in its general recommendation 18/2010 warned of the situation in the countries prisons, in particular this so called self governance.

This Culiacan jail has 2112 inmates of whom 500 are facing Federal Charges, so that the State Government has raised the urgency of transferring them to the CEFERESO centres to prevent escapes or contact with common prisoners.

Today, Jose Mario Rodriguez Murillo, Chief of Custodians of Culiacan prison, has been missing since the escape of El Azul's son, who is presumed to be complicit. The prison at Culiacan dates from 1969, and its cells have paraded old figures linked to drug trafficking, such as those of Manuel Salcido Uzeta, "El Cochiloco", Miguel Angel Lugo Beltran, "El Ceja Guera" among others, who became legends for the spectacular evasion of this prison said the newspaper.

Original article in Spanish at Zetatijuana