Hometown of drug lord 'El Chapo' hit by drone attacks

BADIRAGUATO

The hometown of jailed drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been hit in attacks by explosive-laden drones, the governor of the northwest Mexican state of Sinaloa said on Oct. 28.

Authorities did not specify when the strikes on Badiraguato, Guzman's birthplace and the historical stronghold of drug trafficking in Mexico, took place. Displaced residents said attacks in the region began in September.

Dozens of residents were forced to leave the area, Governor Ruben Rocha Moya told a news conference.

"Drones were indeed used," Rocha said, adding that displaced people were being assisted by the government.

Various criminal groups in Mexico use drones to attack their rivals and authorities.

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) has been using drones since 2020, according to a report by the Insight Crime think tank.

Some of the displaced, who wished to remain anonymous, told AFP that the most recent attacks targeted the La Tuna farm that belongs to Guzman's family.

The latest drone attacks began on Sept. 16, according to a resident of Bacacoragua, one of the municipalities of Badiraguato, who left her village in early October.

Armed men blocked access to farms and cut electricity in the area, said another witness who fled a village in the region.

Guzman was sentenced in 2019 to life plus 30 years in prison.