Update: This story was updated with the confirmation of El Chopa’s death. You may be interested in: The Mexican Army is sending an additional 400 troops to Puerto Vallarta to help with security.
A confrontation between the National Guard and “El Chopa”, the cartel boss in Puerto Vallarta, was reported around 3:00 p.m. on Albatros Street, in the exclusive area of Marina Vallarta.
Saul “N” alias “El Chopa” plaza boss of the CJNG, who was in the bar district 5, where the former governor of Jalisco, Aristóteles Sandoval, was assassinated, was injured by gunshot during the confrontation.
The federal government confirmed this Saturday morning that they arrested Saúl Alejandro “N”, alias “El Chopa “, who would be related to the murder of former Jalisco governor AriStóteles Sandoval Díaz.
Chopa, a leader of the New Generation Cartel, was present last December at the assassination of Sandoval Díaz, as recently revealed by the Federal Security Secretariat.
“The Mexican Army and Air Force, as well as the National Guard, detain Saúl Alejandro “N” (a) “Chopa”, who is linked to the murder of former Jalisco Governor Jorge Aristóteles Sandoval Díaz and designated as a lieutenant of a cartel that generates violence with national and international influence,” said the authority in a statement released almost 24 hours after the events.
The federal government added that “El Chopa” suffered gunshot wounds and was taken to a hospital in Puerto Vallarta, where he died yesterday.
The statement issued by the federal agency added the arrest of another member of organized crime along with this ringleader. However, no details about the identity of that person were released.
In a separate event, there was a strong shootout in the streets of the Alta Vela subdivision, in the municipality of Nayarit, Bahía de Banderas, where for a few minutes armed men fired at a house located on Calle Varadero.
According to the local reporter, Caro Gómez Aguiñaga, the alleged assassins also placed “hedgehogs”, which are star-shaped rods for puncturing tires, on the Ameca Bridge that connects Puerto Vallarta and Bahía de Banderas. This prevented municipal police officers from going to the scene of the events after receiving the report from citizens.
The commissioner of Bahía de Banderas, Guillermo Martínez, declared that at least 30 vehicles were damaged due to the “hedgehogs”, in addition, the Ameca Bridge had to be closed for a few hours.
