A monkey dressed as a cartel mascot has been killed during a shootout in Mexico.
As reported by The Guardian, the spider monkey was found lying dead among the bodies of cartel members, with images later being released showing the animal wearing a small garment resembling a bulletproof vest. The monkey was also wearing a diaper and a camouflage jacket.
The primate was killed on Tuesday after local authorities engaged in a shootout with members of the La Familia Michoacana cartel in the town of Texcaltitlan in Mexico City.
A statement from state prosecutors confirmed that "a primate was killed at the scene", with authorities speculating that the animal was "presumably owned by a criminal who was also killed at the scene."
The Mexico Daily Post reports that 10 men were killed at the scene.
Mexican authorities have confirmed the authenticity of images circulating online of the monkey, but did say that it was not yet clear how the animal died.
"An autopsy will be carried out on the animal by a veterinarian specialized in the species," the statement from state prosecutors added.
Animal-trafficking charges are now being considered against the surviving suspects, with photos released by the Attorney General's Office of the State of Mexico revealing that 10 people were arrested at the scene.
Officers also seized a selection of firearms following the shootout.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the monkey has already received its own "corrida" - a traditional Mexican folk ballad sometimes created to honor of drug lords.
The Guardian reports how the news of the monkey is just the latest in a string of stories highlighting the cartel's obsession with exotic pets.
On Wednesday, the attorney general for environmental protection reported that a tiger had been seized in the Pacific coast state of Nayarit, near the border with Sinaloa - home to the cartel of the same name.
A video circulating on social media within the week showed a woman screaming as a tiger could be seen roaming a street in Nayarit. A man can then be seen putting a rope around the tiger's neck and taking it away.
Authorities later confirmed that the tiger - which was seized - had been declawed and had its teeth removed.
Additionally, last Sunday, a man was fatally wounded when attacked by a tiger in the western state of Michoacán, which The Guardian reports has long been dominated by the Carteles Unidos gang and the Jalisco cartel.
