AAN World News: Mexican Cartel attacks Mexican airfield after arrest of prominent lieutenant, Mexican Army succeeds in fending off attack

[J. Hill]

AAN World News: Mexican Cartel attacks Mexican airfield after arrest of prominent lieutenant

Mexican Army succeeds in fending off attack

On Wednesday the 2nd of this month, members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) launched a large-scale attack on a Mexican-Army maintained airfield in the Zacatecas province of Mexico. The attack lasted for three hours and consisted of the usage of military-level equipment from the CJNG. The attack could be heard from the town of Los Colorados. Onlookers to the incident saw the attack claim to see a gunship circling overhead, firing on the attacking cartel. The supposed U.S involvement in counter narcotics operations has spiked overtime, after the U.S designated cartels as foreign terrror organizations in March of 2023.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel attacked the airbase after the recent arrest of one of the provincial figureheads and lieutenant to the CJNG hierarchy, Jorge Analistas. The 61 year old was one of many members of the Los Zetas cartel when the CJNG split off to make their own organization in 2009. Analistas was formerly a member of the Mexican Marinas in the 1990s, finding a place in Los Zetas as an enforcer and later instructor in 2002. The Mexican government announced his arrest on Monday the 31st of July as a result of a raid executed by a joint Marine-Police Task-Force designated with this dissolving of cartel operations within the central Mexican province. The raid took place in Los Colorados in the early hours of the 31st, within the southern district of the town. 4 Cartel members and 1 Policewoman, Gabriela Ortiz, were killed. The arrest of Analistas and several other cartel members were published the following morning as they were escorted to the airfield to await transport out of province to a more secure territory.

A photo of Jorge Analistas, published on Mexican Government media after the announcement of his arrest

The attack was initiated in the morning of the 2nd of August, convoys of CJNG vehicles were seen on the outskirts of Los Colorados approaching the airfield, police local to the town were told to stand down to prevent a skirmish that may put civilians at risk, the airfield was struck by the CJNG shortly after the sighting, however was fended off by the defending Mexican Army and supposed U.S Forces providing assistance.