No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsCrimeClash in El Chapo's hometown leaves 2 dead in Mexico

Clash in El Chapo’s hometown leaves 2 dead in Mexico

MEXICO CITY – Mexican forces clashed with suspected organized crime figures in the hometown of fugitive drug kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, killing two and netting 4.5 tons of marijuana, the Navy said Saturday.

The armed suspects attacked the forces on Christmas Day patrol Friday in Badiraguato in Sinaloa state, it said in a statement.

The forces called in air support, and the alleged bandits also attacked the Navy helicopter that responded.

In fending off the attack, two suspects were killed, according to the Navy. Their criminal affiliation was not immediately clear.

Mexican forces seized six large weapons and ammunition, as well as 4.5 tons of marijuana that was packaged and ready to be shipped. It was incinerated on site.

“El Chapo” — the chief of the Sinaloa drug cartel — is on the run after staging a brazen prison break in July during which he slipped through a tunnel leading to an escape hole under his cell’s shower in the Altiplano maximum-security prison in central Mexico.

After exiting the tunnel, Guzmán was driven 135 kilometers (85 miles) north to an airstrip, where he boarded a small plane that took him to Sinaloa state, his northwestern bastion, authorities have said.

A Sinaloa wanted poster of Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán.
Yuri Cortéz/AFP

Badiraguato, Guzmán’s birthplace, is near the states of Chihuahua and Durango, a region known as “The Golden Triangle” where drug traffickers have grown marijuana and maintained opium poppy fields for decades.

Guzmán eluded special forces in rough mountain terrain during a manhunt in October.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Continues Investigation into Miller Gardner’s Death

Costa Rican authorities are still investigating the tragic death of Miller Gardner, the 14-year-old son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, nearly...

Panama Police Clash with Protesters Over Pension Reform Near Costa Rica Border

Police and protesters clashed in Panama on Saturday during an operation to clear a highway near the Costa Rican border, where teachers and Indigenous...

Costa Rica Defeats Dominican Republic 2–1 in Gold Cup Thriller

Costa Rica battled hard but came out on top with a 2–1 victory over the Dominican Republic in their second Group A match of...

Banana Workers’ Strike Ends in Panama After Pension Agreement

Workers at U.S.-based banana company Chiquita Brands in Panama ended their protests and road blockades on Wednesday after reaching an agreement over pension reforms....

The Hidden Costs of Living in Costa Rica: Tariffs, Monopolies, and More

‘Tariffs’ is one of the buzzwords of 2025. Defined as taxes imposed by one country on goods imported from another country, tariffs are essentially...

Bahía Papagayo Project Clears Hurdle as Court Rejects Environmental Appeal

A $925 million tourism development in Guanacaste is pushing forward after Costa Rica’s Constitutional Court dismissed an appeal challenging its environmental approval. The Bahía...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica