In what is certainly a harrowing experience for anyone in the area, a shootout occurred at the Bella Sirena condominiums this morning, with blog reports stating that a helicopter gunship was seen firing into the complex itself.
Currently, the U.S. Consulate is advising that American citizens in the area shelter in place.
Reports of large gun battle at Sandy Beach in #PuertoPenasco / #RockyPoint. USCits advised to shelter in place until gunfire is over.
— U.S. ConGen Nogales (@USCGNogales) December 18, 2013
El Imparcial is reporting that the state prosecutor, Carlos Navarro Sugich, has confirmed that four are dead, all “linked to organized crime” from a shootout that involved the Federal Police and the Navy.
UPDATE: If you’re fairly proficient with the Spanish language, Lourdes Encinas Moreno, a reporter in Hermosillo, is collecting updates in Storify form.
UPDATE: The death count is now five, according to Sonora’s Attorney General.
More information as we get it.
UPDATE:
Video taken this morning from a balcony at the Bella Sirena condos in Puerto Penasco while a shootout between federales and narcos took place outside of the complex itself.
(via TucsonScene James)
This article appears in Dec 12-18, 2013.
is that photo from today?
Wow I was just at those condominiums less then a month ago :///
wow, I’m here now in one of the Sirena units. Not fun. The cartels really have some firepower. Shots from 5:30 until ten or so we’re still holed up and waiting for the coast to clear.
Michelle: As best as we can tell. It has appeared in El Imparcial and elsewhere.
The photo shows the round-about up by Puerto Privada and the golf course. I’m assuming it was the helicopter at Bella Sirena? These are fairly far apart by foot, I doubt they ran that far. There must be more to this.
Wow. what a great place to vacation. Sign me up.
Yes but that picture is not of Bella Sirena. These folks were getting chased crashed into the concrete barrier the truck got swung and they flew out of the vehicle.
I’m still a lot more nervous about drunk, aggressive and irresponsible frat bros and sorority sisters down there than I am about drug gangs.
For the Narcos to attack in an influential American visiting spot with the that kind of fire power, means an outside powerful sect was present. No way the Mexican Gov’t would jeopardize the economical disaster this would cause, let alone, the Mexican Cartels. They are fully aware of the cash Americans bring, and this is both of their economies. We stop going, the money dries up. Both sides are on the same page in Protecting their financial interest to allow a gun fight at a hotel that charges 500 plus a night. This is Huge and dangerous, but at the same time, who ever cause this is already dead or they just know they are yet.
That is nothing, if you listen to our news(phoenix) their are gun shots ever day & night. I’ve owned down their for over 30yrs. and I still feel safer thier.
I would rather see cartel deaths in a resort town than my son die in a school shooting or at a movie theater.
zing97, your comments are so full of mistakes its hard to make any nice comment.
narcos didn’t attack, they were spotted 55 miles away in another town.
the govt. just finished off the bad guys, doesn’t matter where they were, they just happened to start driving in the direction of RP.
no one is allowing a gun fight at a hotel that charges 4500 a night. they don’t charge that much and they weren’t allowing a gunfight.
its not huge or dangerous. it happens everyday in towns all across America and other locations. its just being blown out of proportion by people like you.
pepelemieux – Why would you make such a stupid ignorant comment ?
Zing97 sure there is a shooting here or there but not a full on firefight with 2 sides who could care less if innocents get caught in the middle. Plus I’m allowed to have weapons on my person in Phoenix. I can’t in Mexico! Mexico is a 3rd world country for a reason.
Pepelemieux, why should anyone be shot to death like that? What if your son decided to go on vacation down there? What a lack of compassion.
Everthing is back to normal I lived 34 years in the states and seen much more scandeless things there then here in rockypoint its just cops doing there job to keep it safe for all of you to come out here and do the things you can’t do in the states let’s keep it real
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW THE ROCKY POINT TIMES REPORTS ON THIS. SONIA BERATED ME FOR NOT RENEWING MY SUBSCRIPTION LAST YEAR BECAUSE I DIDNT FEEL SAFE THERE.
As long as drugs remain illegal and there’s a BATF to supply the cartels with weapons, these incidents will remain commonplace.
Who are the bad guys? The narcos who furnish a much-wanted product at market prices? Or the government that hunts them down and kills them?
To those who disliked my comment above: the truth only hurts those who lack it within themselves.
I hope that Bella Sirena security (and or the people who checked them in) didn’t know they were cartel. We’ve been going for years with our kids and have always felt safe in the resorts. I get that it is Mexico and you have to be aware of your surroundings around town, but it is disapointing to say the least that this happened in one of the resorts. The debate will always go on whether it is ultimately safer in the US or Mexico particularly Rocky Point. Probably about wash. Just sucks that this happened at a resort.