Three charged over armed attack and fire at Hermosillo sports center remain in pretrial detention

A judge in Sonora has ordered three alleged members of a criminal group to face trial over the armed attack and fire that damaged Hermosillo’s Centro de Usos Múltiples on Aug. 28. The men will remain in justified pretrial detention while prosecutors continue their investigation.

The state prosecutor’s office identified the defendants as Jesús Salvador “N,” known as “El Arte”; Daniel Ernesto “N,” known as “El Dani”; and César Abdiel “N,” known as “El Sombra.” They face charges of aggravated damage by fire, unlawful discharge of a firearm and criminal association. A judge granted prosecutors four months for the complementary investigation.

According to the evidence cited by prosecutors, the men entered the sports complex on Bulevar Solidaridad and Perimetral Norte at about 8:30 p.m. carrying firearms. They allegedly followed a previously agreed plan and set fire to the ring, damaging sound equipment, screens, lighting, chairs and other property prepared for “Noche Suprema,” a scheduled event involving influencers and professional fighters on Aug. 29.

The investigation also alleges that shots were fired inside the venue while people were still present. Prosecutors are pursuing the line that the attack may have been carried out in retaliation against a rival criminal group.

César Abdiel “N” also faces a separate case involving street-level drug dealing and possession of a prohibited weapon. Jesús Salvador “N” faces additional proceedings over alleged possession of methamphetamine for sale and possession of a prohibited weapon. Both received justified pretrial detention in those cases, with one month set to complete the investigations. The three men were arrested by the Ministerial Agency for Criminal Investigation and are also linked by authorities to homicide cases and other alleged crimes in Hermosillo.