A monkey in a small camouflage jacket and a diaper was among the dead following a cartel-related shootout Tuesday that left 11 people dead in Mexico.
The shooting took place in the city of Texcaltitlan in the state of Mexico during a confrontation between members of the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel and the Mexican National Guard with members of the Attorney General’s Office, according to the Mexico Daily Post.
AT CARTEL EXTERMINATION SITE, MEXICO NEARS 100,000 MISSING
The report said 10 men died on the scene, while one man died later in the hospital, in addition to 10 people being detained by authorities. The owner of the pet monkey was reportedly a member of the La Familia Michoacana cartel in his 20s.
The monkey died on top of the body of its owner, although it is unknown whether gunshots killed the monkey itself. The monkey, seen in photos confirmed by state of Mexico authorities, was wearing a camouflage jacket, a bulletproof vest, and a diaper at the time of its death.
POLICE IN MEXICO SAY DRUG CARTELS TARGETING THEIR HOMES
Authorities in Mexico told the Associated Press in a statement that the monkey’s death would be investigated in the aftermath of the shootout.
“A primate was killed at the scene, which was presumably owned by a criminal who was also killed at the scene,” Mexican state prosecutors said. “An autopsy will be carried out on the animal by a veterinarian specialized in the species.”
The incident is the latest in a long history of drug cartels and their members owning unusual pets.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
In 2020, Mexican authorities found a tiger and a lizard that belonged to a drug cartel leader in Tlalchapa, in the state of Guerrero.
Notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s daughter had a pet monkey, which almost ended up exposing the location of El Chapo in 2015.
