At least 14 people were killed, including ten guards, in an armed attack on a prison in Ciudad Juárez on the border with the United States, with at least 24 inmates escaping, local authorities reported on Sunday. The Chihuahua state prosecutor's office stated in a release that the attack also resulted in four injuries. The attack occurred at dawn when armed men arrived in armored vehicles and opened fire on the guards. At the same time, families of several inmates were waiting to enter the prison to visit their relatives for the New Year. According to initial investigative elements, the aim of the attack was to facilitate the escape of a group of prisoners. The prosecution added that police arrested four individuals with the help of the army, without specifying whether they were escaped prisoners or attackers.
This prison in the northern Mexican city houses members of armed branches of the Sinaloa and Juárez cartels, which have been competing for control of the city for over 15 years.
