Deadly Battle With The CJNG in Ríoverde, San Luis Potosí

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A battle between police and members of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generation (CJNG) who were barricaded inside a safehouse in the city of Ríoverde, in the state of San Luis Potosí left three hitmen dead, one injured and a State Police deputy director dead.

The Battle

In the predawn hours of January 6, 2022, police received a report about heavily armed men in the Cruz Verde neighborhood of the city of Ríoverde. The city of Ríoverde is located in the center of the state of San Luis Potosi and has an estimated population of almost 140,000 inhabitants, making it the third-largest city in the state. The area is believed to be under the control of the CJNG.

According to newspaper El Heraldo de México, the report was of a gunfight occurring between two heavily armed groups of men, while newspaper El Sol de San Luis alleges the report was simply of armed people seen within a home.

A patrol unit was dispatched to the area. The property was #307 on Vicente Guerrero street. When the officers approached the property, they were shot at with high-caliber firearms from inside so the officers retreated to cover and relayed what occurred to their commanders.

No graphic content seen in footage above. Video Source: Balam on Twitter. 

In response, at 4:00 am, a group of Special Security Forces from the State Police and soldiers from the National Guard set up positions surrounding the safehouse that the hitmen had barricaded themselves inside. Social media accounts, such as Balam, have alleged the hitmen were a part of the CJNG.

The security forces were shot at by the CJNG hitmen, who had taken up firing positions with 50 caliber firearms within the house and the forces returned fire. In photos, like the one seen below, a large amount of bullet damage can be seen surrounding certain windows, making it likely one of the aforementioned firing positions. 

During the multi-hour shoot out the police deputy director, Moisés Abraham Normandía Barrios received multiple gunshot wounds. Director Normandia Barrios was taken to the Regional Hospital of Ríoverde by Red Cross paramedics. He was declared deceased shortly after being admitted.

The death of Director Normandía Barrios, however, did not end the gunfight, and while it raged on, the Secretary of Public Security gave a public statement that warned residents to avoid the area around the property for their own safety. He also promised to update the press and public with new developments as they arose.

Although the confrontation began at #307 on Vicente Guerrero street, it reportedly spread to a second property which was located in the La Huerta subdivision, with few other details given about the secondary location. 

Three hours into the battle, at about 7:00 am, the Special Security Forces made use of an armored vehicle called a "Rhino". La Silla Rota claims the Rhino was called in after several unsuccessful prior attempts to enter the home.

The officers used the Rhino to ram into the front of the safehouse, breaking a large hole into a wall of the home. This led to a final gun battle and the surrender of the surviving hitmen. Inside the property, officers found three hitmen who had been killed prior during the gunfight. 

Newspaper El Heraldo de México reports there are "several detainees", meanwhile, TV Azteca adds that one of the hitmen was injured and “it is reported that there are more people detained, it is not known how many and the conditions in which they were detained.”

Deputy Director Normandía Barrios

The state security coordination table observed a minute of silence for the death in the line of duty of Deputy Director Moisés Abraham Normandía Barrios.

The State Attorney General, José Luis Ruiz Contreras expressed his condolences to the family and colleagues of the fallen policeman and stated that justice will be done in this case, lamenting the loss of Moisés Abraham Normandía Barrios.

Congressman Rubén Guajardo Barrera lamented the death of the deputy director "From the State Congress we call on the corresponding authorities to reinforce the strategy in security matters, to carry out the operations without taking a step backward", assured the legislator after the actions against crime in various parts of the state.

 Congressman Rubén Guajardo Barrera speaking to reporters on January 6, 2022

The legislator added that "it is important to have a strategy to avoid these unfortunate events where police officers lose their lives, we have already had several casualties in recent weeks and with new operational measures things will surely be different".

Codigo San Luis wrote that “Normandía, as his colleagues called him, was always at the forefront of the battle against the criminals, and was the one who came to the aid of his colleagues who were attacked in Cerritos last month. His colleagues honor him and mourn on social networks while complaining about the indolence of the [non-deputy] police director who is always absent and distant from the troops.”

The Seizures 

The San Luis Potosi State Police released a statement that listed out the following items which were seized from the properties: 

3 AK-47 type long barrel firearms (“armas largas tipo AK-47”)

2 handguns

1 fragmentation grenade without detonation and without fuze

1 pearl-colored vehicle

1 green sedan-type vehicle

4 motorcycles

Of note, El Sol de San Luis and La Silla Rota both wrote that 50 caliber ammunition was fired by the hitmen but the seizure of a 50 caliber weapon was not listed in the State Police statement. 

Alleged photos of the incident depict two AR15/M4A1 style firearms, with antiquated 20 round mags.

An AR-15/M4A1 style rifle

An AR-15/M4A1 style rifle, that's been heavily modified with aftermarket parts such as a folding vertical grip, Magpul Battery Assist Device lever or clone of the lever, and a Law Tactical folding stock. But no sights.

Official Statements: Attorney General Statement, State Police statement

Sources: El Heraldo de México, TV Azteca, Vanguardia, Quadratín, El Sol de San Luis, López-Dóriga, La Silla Rota, San Luis a Tiempo, Comunicadores Potosinos, Bitacora Digital, Frontal Noticias, Noticias en la Mira, Televisa.News, Codigo San Luis, El Heraldo SLP