16 die in ‘El Chapo’ fight

THE fight for control of drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s legacy spilt into the open on Thursday after a gunbattle between rival Mexican gangs left 16 dead.

The 16 men, heavily armed and wearing bulletproof vests, died in a six-hour running shootout near the rural town of Tepuche in northwestern Sinaloa province.

“A van with seven bodies was located” after an initial clash, while nine bodies were discovered following a second exchange, Sinaloa’s state security minister Cristobal Castaneda said. El Chapo was captured in 2016.