Mexican authorities announced on Dec. 1 that multiple individuals have been arrested in connection with the Chihuahua state ambush that led to the death of nine U.S. citizens on Nov. 4, according to multiple reports.
The New York Times reported that with a joint effort involving the Mexican military, police, and intelligence agents they were able to successfully arrest the suspects.
“With the participation of the Mexican Army, the Mexican Navy, the Federal Ministerial Police of the Attorney General’s Office, the National Guard and the National Intelligence Center, in the early hours of this day in a joint effort and fulfilling search warrants obtained by the FDR [Attorney General’s Office of the Republic] from a specialized judge, several individuals were arrested, allegedly involved in the events mentioned above,” according to a translated statement issued by the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic, ABC News reported. It was also reported that the FBI would be involved in the investigation into the ambush, and that the Attorney General’s Office would be cooperating with the federal bureau during the investigation.
Few details were released during the Attorney Generals Office statement. It is unknown at this time how many people were arrested or their identities, according to ABC News. It was reported by The New York Times that in November, authorities had arrested a suspect, who allegedly was connected to the ambush. The news outlet reported that the suspect was living in Mexico City following the attack. After obtaining a search warrant on Dec. 1, authorities were able to arrest other suspects, the news outlet reported.
According to The New York Times, no information has been released regarding the connection the detained suspects may have with the ambush. However, the Attorney General’s Office stated that when more trustworthy and reliable information comes to light, the authorities will share it with the public, according to ABC News. Authorities believe the ambush was part of an ongoing cartel battle regarding territory. The authorities have not officially released any motive behind the ambush, according to People Magazine.
ABC News reported that the family who was ambushed were part of the LeBaron family, who were traveling to Chihuahua to attend a wedding. The families were in three different SUVs at the time of the ambush. According to the news outlet, Chihuahua is located some 100 miles south of the Arizona-Mexico border.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Michelle Owens Rigby, who hopes to raise money to help pay for medical bills and other financial needs of the family. The page has managed to raise $192, 569 at the time of writing.
