Suspected Mexican drug trafficker Juan Jose Esparragoza Monzon, aka El Negro, reportedly escaped from a prison in the city of Culiacan in northwest Mexico’s Sinaloa state on Thursday afternoon.

Monzon, who was captured January 19, is the son of Juan Jose Esparragoza Moreno, who is a longtime partner of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman in the upper echelon of the Sinaloa cartel.

Moreno, known as El Azul, is believed to be a major player in the cartel but has remained out of the public view. Rumors have recently emerged that he died of a heart attack in 2014.

Monzon reportedly broke out with four other high-danger prisoners, and all of them are believed to be connected to the Sinaloa cartel.

According to Sinaloa-based newspaper Rio Doce, the alarm was sounded at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, calling for support from three levels of government. Two hours later, a search operation began around the prison but did not locate Monzon or his fellow escapees.

 

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Featured image courtesy of the Mexican National Security Commission