Ovidio Guzman: Military families flee from Culiacán

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat Reforma

"In Culiacán we accomplished the mission, although it is estimated that there were 700 or 800 criminals, only 350 of us faced them. We caused more than five casualties, which cowardly left their bodies abandoned, but we are sure there were many more the dead criminals…”

Out of fear, after being threatened after the failed operation to detain Ovid Guzmán, son of El Chapo, military families left their homes in the residential complex of Colonia 21 de Marzo.

Military sources said the families were evacuated and sent to the headquarters of the Ninth Military Zone for their peace of mind.

These are at least 60 of 140 families of soldiers who live in the Military Housing Unit, located along the road to Mazatlán, which also houses offices and a branch of Banj Army.

Neighbors in the area say that some families moved in  with relatives and acquaintances in the city.

"The majority have already left.," said one resident.

On Thursday, the complex of 16 apartment buildings was attacked by a command of alleged members of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Some gunmen entered the place shooting into the air, according to testimonies from neighbors.

The Secretary of Defense, General Luis Sandoval, recognized a day later the attack in Colonia 21 de Marzo as an act of pressure to release the alleged drug trafficker.

"They approached the housing unit, entered, and open fire on the housing unit. Hence they took a civil security element hired for the security of the facilities and a troop element that was dressed as a civilian," he said at the conference that He headed with the Secretary of Security, Alfonso Durazo.

On Thursday, clashes and narcoblocks caused panic and chaos among the population, as well as dead eight, nine cars burned and the release of 55 prisoners from the Aguaruto prison.

According to neighbors, that day, several vehicles with armed men arrived at the military housing complex in Colonia 21 de Marzo, which were posted to monitor access and exit.

"Here about three cars and a van were accommodated, and over there another, they were just watching people from outside and shooting," said one resident of the sector.

-Why did they leave?

"Because some men came to the apartments there and they got in. I didn't see them, but there they were. They were shooting and it was very loud.

-How long did it last?

"I don't know, it was long."

The Military Housing Unit of Colonia 21 de Marzo is one of the three apartment complexes for military families in Culiacán. There reside mostly women alone with children, since their husbands only spend the night there when they are not commissioned.

Army calls cartel members cowards in the video.

In an internal video, the military describes the violent acts of members of the Sinaloa Cartel registered on Thursday in Culiacán as cowards and indicates that more than five gunmen were killed.

The material was allegedly used to lift the morale of the troops.

"In Culiacán we accomplished the mission, although it is estimated that there were 700 or 800 criminals, only 350 of us faced them. We caused more than five casualties, which cowardly left their bodies abandoned, but we are sure there were many more the dead criminals ", the video is told that does not have official Sedena logos.

"We met the objective of arresting a criminal, but they cowardly threatened to attack innocent people, women, children, students and military families, this shows that they are cowards."

In the recording obtained by REFORMA, images of operational training of soldiers are shown.

"They threw everything at us, using their maximum firepower although we only use what is necessary and do not cause harm to people," he argues in the recording.