Sonora Attorney General Carlos Navarro Sugich initially reported a Federal Police Operative in Puerto Peñasco in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Dec. 18th between Federal forces and armed individuals, left at least four of those confronting federal forces dead. In a later message sent out on Twitter, Navarro Sugich confirmed that a fifth individual had died.
“In being in contact with Federal Police command forces, I am aware that in the early hours of today forces from the Federal Police and Secretary of the Navy implemented an operative in Puerto Peñasco, which as a consequence led to a confrontation between armed individuals and federal forces,” Navarro explained.
The confrontation, which took place in the popular area of Sandy Beach, was apparently centered around the Bella Sirena condo complex where both helicopters and a navy ship could be seen nearby. Reports of gunfire started at about 5 a.m. and lasted approximately two hours. Facebook and Twitter lit up across Puerto Peñasco as people awoke to the day’s news. Around mid-morning the U.S. Consulate in Nogales tweeted a message for U.S. Citizens in the area to shelter in place. Area schools cancelled classes while numerous offices, banks, and services closed their doors for the day.
As news continues to come out, Navarro Sugich clarified the incident was not a confrontation between criminal groups but rather an official operation of the Federal Police.