Confrontations in La Sierra de Chihuahua: Rumor of Sedena Helicopter Downed Denied

Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: Various Sources

Chihuahua, Chih., April 11, 2019 
After various media reported the shooting down of a military helicopter and the death of 14 soldiers in Atascaderos, the State Attorney's Office of Chihuahua denied that version.

In a statement, the State Attorney General's office "categorically" denounced an attack on military personnel and the shooting down of a helicopter in the town of Atascaderos, municipality of Guadalupe y Calvo.

"So far, more than one hundred elements of the State Research Agency, State Security Commission and Municipal Public Security Directorate maintain an operation on roads and gaps, in order to provide certainty and tranquility to the public," said the agency.

The Prosecutor's Office said respectful of the different journalistic publications that were made in this regard, "however, it is considered that there must be a sense of proper handling of the information, in such a way that the work of communicating truthfully is fulfilled."

However:

La Sierra de Chihuahua is burning with clashes near  Atascaderos

Reported is  the death of five alleged criminals; authorities deny attack to helicopter of the Sedena

Culiacán, Sin.- The Sierra de Chihuahua, in the municipality of Guadalupe y Calvo, is experiencing moments of anxiety, as there have been reported clashes between criminal groups that have left at least five people dead.

Media from the northern state report that it was during the early hours of the morning and on Tuesday morning when confrontations took place in the community of Atascaderos, where five alleged criminals died.

The authorities informed that it is Mario "N", 53 years old; Bernardo "N", of 56 years, and Tomás Ernesto "N", of 23 years, all with domicile in that same community.

The other two deceased remained unidentified by the authorities.

Derived from these confrontations, state police deployed an operation in that area, in coordination with the municipal police of Guadalupe y Calvo, to safeguard the safety of the inhabitants of that region.

Some media and through social networks transpired that a Sedena helicopter had been attacked and shot down, and that derived from these clashes there were 14 people killed, including soldiers, police and criminals, however, the Attorney General of the State denied that information.

So far more than 100 elements of the State Research Agency, State Security Commission and Municipal Public Safety Bureau maintain an operation on roads and gaps, in order to provide certainty and tranquility to families, reported the state agency, according to media from Chihuahua.

Due to the increase in narcoviolence and the dispute between criminal groups, residents of the community of Atascaderos, in Guadalupe and Calvo, have had to leave their homes.

Through a video broadcast on social networks, it shows how residents of that community in the Sierra Tarahumara, leave their homes to avoid being affected by criminals.

Since last week, the confrontation between criminal groups has intensified, and according to the prosecutor César Peniche, it is a dispute between criminal groups of the Sinaloa Cartel.

The villagers reported that there is no security strategy on the part of the authorities, which has led to forced displacement.

Cartel of Sinaloa behind clashes in Atascaderos:

Guadalupe: In social networks, a video began to circulate where a family flees from the town of Atascaderos, located within the municipality of Guadalupe y Calvo.

The person who records fires on the people who flee in their vehicles, who are carrying belongings.

"Lord bless this family that is going, may God keep you on the road, have mercy, holy father," is heard in the video.

              

  In recent days there have been fierce clashes between criminals and police officers in the state.

The prosecutor César Peniche reported that they found a fifth body without life after the confrontation between criminal groups and state elements yesterday in the town of Atascaderos.

"The agents receive information of a confrontation between criminals in Atascaderos, when the agents arrive they are greeted with gunshots, they repel the aggression and put themselves to guard, they give the respective warning and hours later the support of the State Security Commission and the Mexican Army. "

In a first prosecution of the scene of the crime they give with four bodies, "today they inform to me that there is a fifth as a result of the aggressions between the criminal organizations", emphasized.

He added that this motivates the availability of operations in conjunction with the Army, to try to deactivate these groups that we know have been there for many years.

"We are going to gather the information to know how this attack originates and of course we already have some information, but we are going to wait to consolidate to know if the Sinaloa cartel and "Los Chapitos"  are behind," the official said.

In spite of the accusations made by the settlers, they affirm that there is no real truce between the criminal groups.