The Attorney General's Office has managed to identify 12 of the 19 men who lost their lives during a confrontation with the Army on a farm in the Plan de Oriente ejido, known as El Doce in Culiacán, Sinaloa, which occurred on the night of Monday the 21st and the early hours of Tuesday. Some of the deceased are from Culiacán, others from Tijuana, and at least one from the state of Veracruz.
Among those initially identified are: Joel Guadalupe, Juan Ariel, Horacio Manuel, Pedro S., Ricardo L., Jorge Alejandro G., Carlos S., and Josué M. Family members claimed the bodies of Kevin Alexis, Saltiel R., Rafael G., and Juan Arturo N.
On the other hand, the Ministry of National Defense confirmed that the only arrested was Edwin Antonio, alias "El Max" or "El Oso," who was one of the priority targets and alleged leader of a cell linked to the faction of Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel. It was highlighted that "El Max" mainly operated in Baja California and had arrived in Sinaloa to become involved in the violence affecting the region.
Edwin Antonio was transferred to Mexico City, where he is under the custody of the federal public ministry. Regarding this operation, President Claudia Sheinbaum supported the Army's action, arguing that it was in response to an aggression against the federal Armed Forces. In her words, "When the Armed Forces, be it the National Guard, Navy, or Army, are attacked, then, within the framework of the law, they have the right to respond in self-defense."
