Mexican drug war

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Mexico: 30 Zetas Escaped in Prison Riot

And all those killed were rival gang members

(Newser) - Yesterday's riot at a prison in northern Mexico not only killed 44 inmates, but also covered up the escape of 30 members of the infamous Zeta drug cartel, Mexican officials say. "Without a doubt there was premeditation," says the governor of Nuevo Leon, Rodrigo Medina. "This...

44 Dead in Mexico Prison Riot
 44 Dead in Mexico Prison Riot 
UPDATED
Feb 20, 2012 8:07 AM CST

44 Dead in Mexico Prison Riot

Rival drug gangs probably contributed to violence

(Newser) - The death toll in yesterday's riot inside a Mexican prison has now climbed to 44, officials say. No guards were among the dead, but MSNBC reports that corrupt ones may have helped enable the brawl. All the Apodaca prison's guards are reportedly being held for questioning. The clash...

15 Tons of Meth Seized in Mexico

Haul's street value a staggering $4B

(Newser) - Mexican authorities have busted a meth superlab and seized a staggering amount of pure methamphetamine—15 tons, more than double the amount of all meth seizures made at the border last year, and more than 100 times the biggest-ever meth bust in the USA. The sheer size of the bust—...

15 Bodies Dumped at Mexico Gas Station

Cartels at war again in Michoacan

(Newser) - The drug war appears to be heating up again in Mexican President Felipe Calderon's home state. Some 15 semi-naked bodies were found in a pile outside a gas station in Zitacuaro, Michoacan state, the BBC reports. All of the victims were male and three were minors. Police say threatening...

Mexico's Bloody Toll in 2011: 12K

Country sees increasing torture, beheadings, violence against women

(Newser) - The sixth year of Mexico's murderous war against drug cartels claimed a staggering 12,000 lives, according to bleak tallies being reported in the Mexican press that show upticks in beheadings, torture, and violence against women and children. There is no official number from Felipe Calderon's government, which...

Mexico Disbands Corrupt Veracruz Police Force

Navy takes over law enforcement after corrupt cops sent packing

(Newser) - Mexican authorities have stamped out corruption in the Veracruz police force by stamping out the Veracruz police force. The port city's police department has been disbanded, and all 800 officers and 300 administrative staff have been fired, the BBC reports. The Mexican navy is taking responsibility for law enforcement...

Cops Fired for Opposing War on Drugs

New York Times examines case of border patrol agent

(Newser) - Bryan Gonzalez was working as a Border Patrol agent in New Mexico when he made the fatal mistake of musing to a colleague that legalizing marijuana would end Mexico’s violent drug war. He was fired soon afterwards; his termination letter said he held “personal views that were contrary...

Mexico Activists to Hague: Investigate Drug War

Human rights activists also want president, officials investigated

(Newser) - With an estimated 45,000 dead in Mexico’s drug-related violence, and a growing number of those civilian casualties, human rights activists think it’s time for the Hague to step in. A petition signed by 23,000 citizens asks the International Criminal Court to investigate President Felipe Calderon, top...

26 Bodies Dumped in Guadalajara

Mass killing believed to be revenge for Veracruz attack

(Newser) - Citizens of Mexico's second-largest city have been shaken by the country's second mass killing in the space of a few days. The bodies of 26 young men were found stuffed into three vehicles left in the center of Guadalajara yesterday. Most of them had died of asphyxia and...

17 Burned Bodies Found in Cartel-Plagued Sinaloa

In total, 24 were killed yesterday

(Newser) - Attacks in Sinaloa, the home state of Mexico's most powerful drug cartel, left 24 people dead and 17 of the victims' bodies were found burned in two pickup trucks. Neighbors called police after seeing a pickup truck on fire early yesterday in the state capital Culiacan; investigators found 12...

Mexican Cartel Kills 4th Blogger

Nuevo Laredo website moderator was tortured, decapitated

(Newser) - In Nuevo Laredo, what you say on the Internet can cost you your life. A man who helped moderate a website that posted news of shootouts and other Zetas cartel activities—something local newspapers have largely stopped doing—was found dead at an intersection in the Mexican border city, the...

Anonymous Takes On Zetas Cartel

Hackers demand release of kidnapped member

(Newser) - Anonymous is getting truly ambitious: In its latest video, the hacker collective takes on Mexico's Zetas cartel. An Anonymous member wearing a Guy Fawkes mask speaks Spanish and uses Mexican slang in the video, translated by the Houston Chronicle , and threatens to reveal the cartel’s associates and businesses...

20 Dead in Mexican Prison Riot
 20 Dead in Mexican Prison Riot 
Oct 16, 2011 6:09 AM CDT

20 Dead in Mexican Prison Riot

Officials aren't saying what caused the violence

(Newser) - A prison riot in the violent Mexican border city of Matamoros has left at least 20 dead and 12 injured, reports the LA Times . The trouble started as a fight between two inmates, and quickly grew into a full-fledged riot. Officials are not saying what caused the fight or who...

Mexico Nabs Casino Fire Mastermind in Gun Battle

He's third in command of the Zetas

(Newser) - Mexican soldiers apprehended the Zetas boss accused of ordering the horrific Casino Royale fire yesterday after a pitched gun battle across the city of Saltillo. Carlos Oliva Castillo, aka la Rana (the Frog), is the third-highest ranking member of the Zeta cartel, in charge of operations in three northeastern states,...

40 'Fast & Furious' ATF Guns Found in Cartel Thug's House

ATF weapons circulated further, faster than anticipated

(Newser) - Forty weapons from the ATF's botched "Fast and the Furious" gun-tracking plan ended up in a home of the top enforcer for the Sinaloa drug cartel, reports the Los Angeles Times . In all, 100 guns were transported from Phoenix, site of the failed sting operation, to El Paso,...

Mexico Drug War Creating Vigilante Paramilitary Groups

Officials fear paramilitary groups could undermine government

(Newser) - A vigilante group calling itself the "Zeta Killers" has surfaced and claimed responsibility for the slaughter of 35 drug cartel members in Veracruz last week . The group—which describes itself as "anonymous warriors" working for the good of the Mexican people—appears to be connected to a rival...

5 Severed Heads Left at Mexican School

Discovery comes as teachers strike over extortion threats

(Newser) - Another gruesome discovery in Mexico: Police found a crate with five severed heads outside a primary school in Acapulco, reports the BBC . The victims haven't been identified. The not-so-subtle threat comes amid a teachers' strike in the once-popular resort city, notes NPR . Educators refuse to reopen schools because they...

35 Bodies Dumped on Mexican Road

Drug war heating up in Veracruz

(Newser) - The bodies of 35 people believed to have links to drug cartels were found under a highway bridge in Veracruz during rush hour yesterday. Two trucks containing the corpses were left to block traffic, with their doors left open allowing bodies to spill out, CNN reports. The bodies, both men...

New on Mexican TV: Videotaped Confessions

Critics say made-for-TV interviews often coerced

(Newser) - Watched any Mexican TV lately? You may have seen the common ritual of law enforcement officers parading a "perp" before the news media—but now you can also watch his full videotaped confession. Or what authorities claim is his confession. "This is for the authorities, who want to...

Calderon: US Shares Blame for Casino Massacre

Says US isn't doing enough to reduce America's demand for drugs

(Newser) - Some 52 people are dead after gunmen burst into a casino in Monterrey yesterday—and some of that blood is on US hands, says Mexico's president. "We're neighbors, we're allies, we're friends, but you are also responsible," said Felipe Calderone in a televised address...

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