A police raid on a drug cartel hideout in Mexico has resulted in a shootout
FILE PHOTO. © AFP / Enrique Castro
A bloody police raid on a suspected gang hideout in Mexico last Tuesday resulted in a heavy gun battle that left 11 suspects and a drug cartel mascot spider monkey dead, with two law enforcement officers injured. A large cache of the military grade equipment – including assault rifles, tactical helmets, and bullet-proof vests – was seized during the raid.
Local authorities acknowledged killing the monkey during the raid, stating that the surviving suspects might get prosecuted for exotic animal trafficking, among other charges. “A primate was killed at the scene, which was presumably owned by a criminal who was also killed at the scene,” state prosecutors said in a statement.
Graphic imagery available online shows the slain monkey lying atop of the body of its presumed owner, who for some reason appeared to be wearing a plastic bucket on his head. The monkey was donning a diaper, a camouflaged hoodie, and a bullet-proof vest at the time of its death. It was not immediately clear whether the vest actually provided any protection or was merely a prop.
Mono Araña Disfrazado de Sicario Murió Durante Enfrentamiento en Texcaltitlán Traía Chaleco Camuflado y Quedó Inerte Abrazado a su Dueño.La Fiscalía General de Justicia del Estado de México (FGJ-Edomex) Confirmó la Muerte del Mono. pic.twitter.com/4Mcoi0HFai
— Palestra Ags (@PalestraAgs) June 16, 2022
The bizarre affair promptly went viral on social media, with the cartel monkey even getting its very own narcocorrido song. Narcocorridos – a sub-genre of regional Mexican corrido ballads – glorify the drug trade and criminal lifestyle, and often commemorate prominent cartel figures.
