Teen nicknamed ‘El Chapito’ arrested in killing of 8 in Mexico
- A teenager was among 9 charged in connection with the shooting of 8 people
- "El Chapito" appears to be a reference to drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman
- The U.S. State Department still advises against travel to most of Mexico's states
Alleged gang members are held in custody in connection with a shooting that killed eight people in Mexico. (Courtesy of Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection)
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(NewsNation) — A 14-year-old boy nicknamed “El Chapito” was arrested in connection with the killing of eight people in Mexico earlier this year.
The incident happened on Jan. 22, when Mexican authorities say the boy and another man, nicknamed “El Ñoño,” shot up a family birthday party in Chimalhuacán. Three adults died at the scene and five others later succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.
Seven others, including two children ages 3 and 14, were wounded.
Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection announced the arrests Thursday in a news release. Along with El Chapito — whose nickname appears to be a reference to drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman — and El Ñoño, seven other alleged gang members were taken into custody.
El Chapito, whose real name has not been released because he is a minor, has been transferred to a specialized control judge in the Comprehensive Criminal Justice System for Adolescents.
The adults were taken to the Neza-Bordo Penitentiary and Social Reintegration Center.
Police arrested the gang members on March 10 in an operation they say was the result of a previous effort on Feb. 25 in which gang leader “El Lenguas” was arrested.
El Chapo is the former head of the powerful Sinaloa Cartel and was arrested in 2016 following his second escape from a Mexican prison. He was extradited to the United States and is serving a life sentence following his 2019 conviction on drug trafficking charges.
The Council on Foreign Relations says his extradition created a power vacuum in Mexico that resulted in increasing violence as cartels fought for territory and influence.
The U.S. State Department has current travel advisories for all but two of Mexico’s 32 states, warning of crime and kidnapping risks.
