Cartel arrest of two ‘squirrels’ sparks anarchy as city descends into carnage
Thousands of angry Mexicans are protesting after two suspected “squirrels” were arrested in a war on drugs.
Clashes have taken place between residents of Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico and the police and national guard troops over the arrests.
To clarify, they've not actually handcuffed two squirrels, rather two members of the Los Ardillos cartel which translates to The Squirrels.
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Locals were so angry about the arrests that 13 local federal officials were taken hostage by gang members, who were released around 24 hours later.
President Andres Manual Lopez Obrador said: “The problem is not going to disappear by magic, but what happened yesterday was progress, because a call was made to the people, to the people of Guerrero, even to those who participated in the protest and I thank them very much because they gave us their trust.”
Mexico's Defense Ministry claimed that the arrests of the two members was made as part of a crack down on drug-trafficking, kidnapping and extortion rackets, local news outlets report.
Why the locals have been raging about it is not clear, but images from the area show thousands of people lining the streets in protest, blocking roads and causing chaos.
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Police have been using tear gas and plastic bullets in an attempt to quell the protests, but it appears to have only enraged the situation further.
Run by the Jimenez family, the Los Ardillos group is one of the most notorious in Mexico, having been set up in the year 2000.
According to several local news outlets, the group is known for being involved with murder, organised crime, extortion, homicide, kidnapping and drug trafficking.
They are also known to be an enemy of the Mexican Government, and constantly rally against the leaders.
It is not know which two members have been arrested, but the group is headed by Celso Ortega Jimenez, Antonio Ortega Jimenez and Jorge Ivan Ortega Jimenez.
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