'Friendly' Prison Football Game Between Rival Drug Cartels Ends With 16 Deaths

A prison football game between rival drug cartels in Mexico has resulted in 16 deaths.

On New Year's Eve, the Gulf and Zetas Cartels, two of the most powerful criminal gang in Mexico who were originally aligned before splitting in 2002, arranged a 'friendly' game in Zacatecas at the Cieneguillas jail, where 1,000 inmates are in custody.

But it quickly turned descended into utter chaos over a "dirty" tackle inside the penalty area, as per the Daily Mail.

Tempers flared big-time and guns were drawn, with fifteen dying at the scene before a final victim passed away in hospital.

A 'friendly' match between two cartels, in a prison in North-Central Mexico, saw 16 people die & 5 injured.

Despite family members being present, both sides somehow had access to weapons, including guns.

It took two hours for the police to take back control of the prison. :flushed: - Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) January 2, 2020

Five were also injured in the shoot-out, but are in a stable condition according to state Public Security Minister Ismael Camberos Hernandez, via Reuters.

20 ambulances were called to the prison in northern Mexico and those visiting had to be evacuated from the facility while the police and soldiers spent over two hours trying to halt the violence.

Camberos says a total of four-arms were seized following the bloody riot, following on from a recent search that saw 17 knives, three pairs of scissors and 77 bags of marijuana confiscated among other items.

In 2018, the United States Treasury Department suspected that Mexico captain Rafael Marquez that helped launder money for drug cartels in Mexico and placed him on a blacklist as a result.

The former Barcelona defender was eventually able to make history and captain his country in a fifth World Cup but unlike his teammates, he wasn't allowed to wear sponsored gear in training and was also prohibited from drinking out of the same branded bottles as them.

#MEX captain Rafael Marquez is playing in his 5th #WorldCup now & perhaps one that will always be remembered. He is now blacklisted by the US who said he helped launder money for drug cartels. That means no American, businesses & banks can have anything to do with him.

He also wasn't able to be named Man of the Match during the tournament due to Budweiser, an American beer provider, being the sponsor of the award.

What's more FIFA had to send Mexico's $1.5 million World Cup preparation fee via banks which didn't hold ties to the United States.