Mexican drug gangs

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Mexico: Slain Beauty Queen Had Gun in Her Hands

But investigators suspect she was used as human shield

(Newser) - A Mexican beauty queen killed in a shootout between suspected drug traffickers and soldiers likely was being used as a human shield, a federal official says. Maria Susana Flores Gamez, crowned 2012 Woman of Sinaloa in February, came out of the car first with a gun in her hands during...

Mexican Beauty Queen Killed in Shootout

20-year-old may have fired back at army

(Newser) - A Mexican beauty queen was shot dead in a gun battle between the military and the drug traffickers she was traveling with, a crime that echoed a recent hit Mexican movie. The body of Maria Susana Flores Gamez, the 20-year-old winner of a statewide beauty contest in Sinaloa, was found...

To Prove Zetas Boss Is Dead: Dig Up His Parents?

Lazcano body was whisked away, so cops need parents' DNA for ID

(Newser) - Mexican officials are considering exhuming the remains of the parents of killed Los Zetas cartel boss Heriberto Lazcano. Mexico announced earlier this month that Lazcano had been shot down by Marines. But his body was spirited out of a funeral where it was being held, reports the BBC . Now officials...

Mexico Cops: Gunmen Stole Corpse of Cartel Leader

Lazcano may be dead, but his body is gone

(Newser) - Mexico's military says it killed one of the most notorious cartel leaders in the country. It might have a problem convincing everyone, though, because gunmen broke into a funeral home this morning and stole the body, reports the AP . But prior to that brazen raid, authorities said the corpse'...

Mexico: Zetas Boss Killed in Firefight

'Executioner' Lazcano blamed for hundreds of killings

(Newser) - The leader of the bloodthirsty Zetas drug cartel has apparently been killed in a firefight with marines in the northern border state of Coahuila, the Mexican navy said yesterday. The navy said there was strong evidence the body of one of two men killed in the shootout was Heriberto Lazcano,...

Mexico Captures 'El Taliban' Cartel Boss

Zetas arrest could end surge in massacres

(Newser) - Mexico appears to have struck a major blow against one faction of the hyper-violent Zetas cartel. The country's navy says it has captured one of the country's most-wanted drug traffickers, Ivan Velazquez Caballero, known as "El Taliban." The drug lord has been fighting a bloody internal...

Mexico City Replaces All Airport Cops After Shootout

New federal officers all passed rigorous background checks

(Newser) - Following the June airport shooting deaths of three federal officers, Mexico has taken the drastic step of replacing all 348 security officers at the Mexico City International Airport with federal police. Since the June shooting was perpetrated by three fellow security officers suspected of being involved in cocaine trafficking, just...

New Roadblock for Immigrants: Tattoos

US scans them for possible gang affiliations

(Newser) - Immigrants applying for a green card might want to think before they ink. In recent years, US immigration officials have been scrutinizing the tattoos of foreigners seeking documentation in what some say is a misguided effort to prevent organized crime in Latin America from crossing the border, reports the Wall ...

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 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 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...

Helicopter Crash Kills Top Mexican Official

He helped fight drug cartels, but crash seen as accident

(Newser) - The country's top Cabinet secretary, Francisco Blake Mora, a key figure in Mexico's battle with drug cartels, died today in a helicopter crash that President Felipe Calderon said was probably an accident. Calderon said the helicopter was flying in fog when it went down in a remote area...

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...

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...

1,500 Slot Machines Seized in Mexico Raids

11 casinos around Monterrey raided following deadly arson

(Newser) - About 700 soldiers, police, and Treasury agents seized 1,500 slot machines from 11 casinos around Monterrey, Mexico, in the wake of Thursday's attack on a local casino that killed 52 people , reports the AP . Authorities did not link the raids to Thursday's attack, but instead said they...

Bungled ATF Sting Lost Track of More Than 1K Firearms

House hearing on Operation Fast and Furious held today

(Newser) - Operation Fast and Furious, the bungled ATF gun-trafficking probe , was even more bungled than originally thought: Federal agents lost track of more than 1,000 firearms purchased by suspected gun smugglers during the Arizona investigation. The information comes from a new congressional report ahead of a House hearing today examining...

Mexicans to US: Stop Consuming Drugs

Poet, grieving father leads activists on 'trail of pain'

(Newser) - A Mexican poet and hundreds of activists toured some of the most dangerous cities in Mexico last week on what he called a “trail of pain,” calling for an end to the violent drug war rocking the country. Javier Sicilia, whose 24-year-old son was killed in March by...

Mexico's Future Hinges on Monterrey's Cartel Plight

Once-thriving city falling victim to drug cartel violence

(Newser) - Mexico's future may well be playing out on the streets of the city of Monterrey, says Reuters in a special report. The city had once been a shining model of entrepreneurial success, a lure for foreign companies, and a symbol of Mexico's global ambition. Now it's on...

13 Killed in Mexican Lake Battle

One marine, 12 gunmen die on Falcon Lake

(Newser) - Mexican marines stumbled upon a drug gang camp on a Texas border lake on Sunday, triggering a firefight that killed one marine and a dozen Zetas drug cartel gunmen in the country's latest bloodbath. The battle occurred on Falcon Lake, where American David Hartley was presumed to be gunned...

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