Atotonilco de Tula, Hidalgo: CJNG Demands Arrest of Culprits Responsible For Armed Attack

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat

In a video broadcast on social networks, the subjects, armed and with their faces covered, demanded the capture of those involved in the murder of six people, including three minors, in the soccer courts of the Senderos del Pedregal subdivision, known as Casas Quma. 

A group carrying assault rifles and calling itself Special Forces Mencho of the Jalisco Cartel - New Generation (CJNG) demanded the Hidalgo government to arrest those responsible for the armed attack this Sunday in a residential area of Atotonilco de Tula, which left six dead, three of them minors, and two wounded, who remained hospitalized.

Through a video broadcast on social networks, the subjects with their faces covered, dark clothes and at least one with a military-type tactical vest show the weapons on camera, while demanding the capture of those involved or, they warn, they will act to find them.

Likewise, in the clip uploaded to networks they made a call to the inhabitants of Atotonilco who were affected or who witnessed the facts, to notify the Public Prosecutor's Office what they know about the attack: "We invite the population to make their complaint, not to be intimidated by those filthy people". Subsequently, they affirm that they belong to the "Mencho Special Forces".

Military intelligence reports to which this media has had access refer that the CJNG has been sighted mainly in two regions of Hidalgo: the Mezquital Valley (where Atotonilco de Tula is located, especially in the area between Tezontepec, Tepeji and Tula de Allende) and the Altiplano Hidalguense. They also state that it is involved in the theft of hydrocarbons and that it competes with regional groups that also operate in Puebla and Querétaro, on the borders with the state territory.

Work at the site of the attack where six people were killed. 

According to information obtained from security corporations, the three minor victims were 14, 11 and three years old. The rest, 30, 28 and 70. According to testimonies they have gathered, the attack was carried out by at least three hooded men who arrived at the courts of the Senderos del Pedregal subdivision, known as Casas Quma, at around nine o'clock at night.

Based on the reconstruction of the events, they opened fire while shouting at the minors who were in the area to move aside. However, the bullets also hit them, and one was mortally wounded under a table.

At the site, the municipal police found two people dead and learned that six more were taken to hospitals for medical attention for injuries caused by the bullets. By Monday morning, they confirmed that four of those injured and in hospitals had died.

In a joint communiqué sent to the media more than 20 hours after the events the Secretary of Public Security and the State Attorney General's Office attributed responsibility for the violent events to the municipality of Atotonilco de Tula, assuring that it has not been incorporated into the state strategy.

"The municipality (...) is not part of the coordination scheme of commands, between municipality, state and federation, which the government of Hidalgo executes with the objective of joining forces and wills to recover peace, despite constant invitations to do so; which has left the municipality far from joint operations, training and maintenance of infrastructure, as well as strengthened strategies for the benefit of the citizenship", they claim.

They also confirmed that, although together with the National Guard and the Army they were participating in an operation to find the alleged perpetrators. No person had been brought before the Public Prosecutor's Office for this attack.

Video translation is as follows:

Good afternoon to all the people of Hidalgo and especially to the population of Casas Quma in Atotonilco de Tula. This communiqué is to condemn the attacks on the innocent population. Especially to the children that occurred yesterday in the Quma courts.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel is against such attacks against the innocent population. We demand immediate results from the Hidalgo state government against those responsible for this unfortunate event. They have 48 hours to capture those responsible. Otherwise, we will act on our own to find those responsible.

We invite the population to file a complaint, not to be intimidated by these filthy people. Special Forces Mencho. We are in absolute service for the Lord of the Roosters.

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