Mexican Gang Leader 'El Neto Killed In Shootout During Jailbreak Capture Operations In Ciudad Juarez

Mexican gang leader Ernesto Alberto Piñon de la Cruz, also known as “El Neto”, was killed in an encounter with authorities on Thursday after escaping from a prison facility in Ciudad Juarez last weekend. Piñon de la Cruz sits at the helm of the Mexicles gang and is reputed to be a splinter group of the Sinaloa cartel. He was among a number of inmates who bolted from the Cereso No. 3 facility in a jailbreak that took place Sunday morning.

Mexico Daily Post reported the gang leader died during a clash with tactical units who were able to track his whereabouts and found him in a block of houses located in the Aztecas area. In a statement from the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office, El Neto exchanged gunfire with authorities after being pinned in the residential area. He then drove off onboard a vehicle that eventually crashed into a gas station. The gang leader attempted to resist his capture and fired at authorities. He sustained serious gunshot injuries from the exchange and later died after he was transported to the facilities of the Northern District Prosecutor’s Office.

Authorities seized an armored BMW along with eight long firearms and five bulletproof vests during the operation which was the result of a 48-hour investigation after the jailbreak occurred. The operation managed to round up several of the fugitives after a list of all the escaped convicts’ names and photos were posted with accompanying reward offers of $15,500 to $258,000.

El Neto fled the prison along with 29 other inmates following a highly coordinated attack that had gunmen infiltrate the prison in an effort to free the gang leader as well as one of his lieutenants. The Cereso jailbreak riot claimed the lives of 19 people, including 12 police officers and seven inmates. As a result, prison director Alejandro Alvarado Téllez was fired from his position and has been placed under investigation for his failure in securing the prison leading up to the riot. Around 200 troops were deployed into the city in a manhunt for the other convicts who are still on the run.

Just hours after El Neto's announced death, a string of violent attacks was reported around Ciudad Juarez which also involved an armed assault at the Attorney General’s office and two business establishments that were set on fire. Piñon de la Cruz was serving a 224-year sentence and has been incarcerated since 2009.