Gunmen seek Gold and Terrorize the Municipality of El Rosario, Sinaloa

Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: Debate

A group of gunmen also known as "Los Gavillas" causes fear among local residents by stealing gold from mines in the sector of El Rosario, Sinaloa. Sinaloa and Durango are coordinated to fight criminal groups that operate in both entities; the Marina joins the  operation.

Culiacán, Sinaloa:  The wave of violence that is occurring in the municipality of El Rosario is due to the presence of a criminal group that is originally from the state of Durango, which they claim, seeks to steal the gold from the mines found in this sector.

The state official specified that it is more accessible for this group to enter the state through the area of ​​El Rosario than the central area of ​​the entity, so they are implementing an operation that will allow them, if necessary, to enter the neighboring state in case of detecting where the delinquent group is located.

"It is a cell that operates in the area, including the state of Durango since is easier to enter through El Rosario than the mountain area ," said the secretary of Public Safety.

There are 70 elements that are protecting the municipality, especially La Rastra community, where a total of 17 families displaced by the violence have been affected.

Given the efforts being made to ensure tranquility in this Serrano municipality, there have already been a total of 69 families who have been able to return to their homes, as well as being taken care of directly to determine what type of support they require.

To prevent displacement from continuing , elements of the Navy, ie Marinas will enter the operation to arrest those responsible for the acts of insecurity that are taking place in this area.

He also confirmed that in the last week in El Rosario 8 people have been victims of homicide, denying information circulating through social networks, where citizens insist that the number of murders is 13 people.

He pointed out that only a little drug has been secured, but it is not considered as a reason or general hypothesis for the unrest, the displacement of civilians who are living in fear of these new "Gold Rushers", "Los Gavillas".

"On April 28, a long AK47 weapon, 1.6 kilograms of heroin and a .22 caliber pistol were secured in the area of ​​La Rastra. On May 1, personnel from the Secretariat of the Navy of Mexico joined forces to conduct tours in the area " Castaneda explained.

He said that an operative of 100 elements was established in coordination with the state of Durango to avoid abuses in Sinaloa, in which there are 70 elements from Sinaloa and 30 from Durango.

"There have been tours and the head of the State Preventive Police is permanently in the southern area addressing the issue, a permanent operation base was established in La Rastra in coordination with the State and Municipal Police, in addition to the military personnel of the Octavio Battalion of Infantry.

The Secretariat of National Defense deployed one more section, on the part of the Ministry of Public Security deployed two units of 20 troops each, of the Elite Group, to make tours of the area, in conjunction with the Ministry of Public Security of Durango , in an operation to carry out arrests of criminal gunmen in either of the two states, " he warned.

As for the figures, Castañeda Camarillo reported that there are a record of eight homicides, and the displacement of 90 families in March, of which 21 have already returned to their places of residence, so 69 of them remain temporarily in Rosario.

Secretary Álvaro Ruelas said he will meet in El Rosario with his counterpart in Durango, to refine the preparations for the relief operation for families, some of whom have requested support for the transfer safely to the municipal seat of El Rosario or Mazatlan.

"So far, 17 mountain communities of El Rosario have been taken care of, different families have been taken care of and decided to move to the head of the municipality and some others to Mazatlan," he said.

He said that there will be a tour of the 17 communities to determine the housing and food needs of displaced families, since the report indicates that 69 families have decided to leave their communities due to fear of insecurity.

After the streak of violence registered in La Rastra, in the Sierra de Rosario, the Army arrived to control the situation and help the families to leave the town, according to the inhabitants of the town.

This, after some residents reported having been threatened with death by illegal armed groups that dispute control of the area, who would have given them until this Saturday to leave the community. With this would be the third forced displacement collectively in less than a month.

The soldiers are at this point  with the intention of establishing a temporary camp, said residents of La Rastra, who seek to get off as soon as possible to get safe from alleged clashes that have arisen in the vicinity with Durango.

The villagers, who asked to reserve their names to avoid reprisals, said that the army's commitment was to escort them to a safe place, so it was expected that Monday afternoon more people would come down.