Mexican forces kill wanted cartel operator in Sinaloa

Mexican naval personnel killed cartel operator Jesús González Peñuelas, who was also known as El Chuy, during a joint air and ground operation in Guasave, Sinaloa, UPI reported. The confrontation began on Monday near the Alfredo V. Bonfil neighborhood after naval forces came under gunfire from members of a criminal organization and returned fire, Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch confirmed. [1]

The United States government considered González Peñuelas a high priority target and had offered a reward of up to $5 million for his capture, according to UPI. [1]

The ongoing Mexican drug war is an asymmetric armed conflict between the Mexican government and various drug trafficking syndicates. The Mexican military intervened in 2006 with the initial objective of reducing drug related violence, and analysts estimate wholesale earnings from illicit drug sales in the region range from $13.6 billion to $49.4 billion annually. [2]