Ten Central American Gunmen Arrested in Cartel Attack that Killed 19 in Mexico

Authorities in Mexico confirmed that 11 of the 15 hitmen arrested for their role in a series of cartel gunbattles in the state of Guerrero are from Guatemala and El Salvador. The other four are Mexican citizens.

The gunbattle took place this week near the town of Tecpan de Galeana in the Mexican state of Guerrero. Gunmen clashed with police and military forces, leaving almost two dozen fatalities and several others injured. The gunmen called themselves Guerrero Nueva Generacion (GNG) — an apparent faction or cell allied with Cartel Jalisco New Generation. This cartel has been waging turf wars nationwide with other organizations to expand their territories.

According to information released by Mexico’s Public Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch, the violence started on Thursday shortly before 5 a.m. when a group of gunmen riding in a convoy of more than 16 vehicles rolled into the town. The convoy immediately attacked a group of local police officers, killing two and injuring four.

An armored vehicle left by gunmen after an attack. (Credit: Breitbart Texas / Cartel Chronicles).

Approximately 30 minutes later, the gunmen then rolled into a military compound on the outskirts of the city. They attacked military forces at that location before moving on. After another 30 minutes, the gunmen stormed a second military base, where they were met with heavier resistance. After a fierce shootout, military forces were able to arrest almost a dozen gunmen and kill 17 others. In the aftermath, authorities carried out a search operation in an attempt to track down additional gunmen.

On Friday, Guerrero Attorney General Jesus Torres Ojeda revealed that of the 15 individuals in custody, 10 were from Guatemala, four were from Mexico, and one was from El Salvador.

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..