By Lizbeth Diaz
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -A shootout near the capital of Mexico's Sinaloa state killed 19 suspected gang members, while one local cartel leader was arrested, Mexico's defense ministry said on Tuesday, as intra-cartel violence intensifies.
The deadly altercation on Monday took place about 7 miles (11 km) outside the Sinaloa capital of Culiacan, when a group of more than 30 gunmen fired on soldiers, according to a statement from the ministry. It added that some of the suspected cartel gunmen fled the scene after federal agents returned fire.
The detainee was identified as Edwin Antonio "N" - his last name withheld as is typical for those accused of crimes in Mexico - and described as a local leader of the Sinaloa Cartel faction led by its legendary co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.
A document dated Oct. 22 from Mexico's national registry of detained persons obtained by Reuters listed an Edwin Antonio Rubio Lopez apprehended by military personnel in Sinaloa.
Seven vehicles and nearly 30 firearms, including machine guns, ammunition and military-style vests and helmets were also seized.
Violence has flared in the western Pacific coast state ever since the late July arrest of Zambada, after he was flown to an airstrip in the United States near the city of El Paso, Texas, and promptly taken into custody by U.S. officials.
The veteran cartel leader is believed to be in his 70s. He has alleged that a senior member of the Los Chapitos, another faction of the Sinaloa cartel, kidnapped him and then flew him to the United States against his will.
The gangland violence plaguing Sinaloa is seen by security analysts as likely pitting the two factions against each other, and has intensified since early September with around 200 dead and more than 300 others believed to be missing, according to official data.