Mexico drug war

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In Ciudad Juarez, New Slew of Missing, Murdered Women

Remains of 12 people found recently determined to be female

(Newser) - The remains of 12 girls and women have been found in Ciudad Juarez in recent months, increasing concerns that young females are being targeted in the violent Mexican border city. Just six of the victims have been identified, all of them teens reported missing in 2009 and 2010; the other...

Benedict to Mexico: Return to Your Faith

Pope says Mass before 300,000, calls for peace

(Newser) - Under the shadow of the Christ the King monument in the Roman Catholic heart of Mexico, Pope Benedict XVI said Mass before hundreds of thousands today, urging the violence-plagued nation to "look deeply into the human heart, especially in times of trouble." The Mass was a second call...

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'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...

Zetas' New Tool in Mexico: National Radio Network

Military has seized huge amounts of equipment

(Newser) - The Zeta cartel has secret weapons hidden in Mexican bushes and rooftops everywhere: radio antennas. Current and former US law enforcement officials tell the AP that the infamous cartel has a sophisticated, nationwide radio network that helps them coordinate their movements and keep tabs on law enforcement. “They're...

The Big World Events You Missed in 2011

Foreign Policy lists 10 quiet but essential world events

(Newser) - What events and trends flew under the radar in 2011 but could erupt into massive headline-grabbers in 2012? Foreign Policy rounds up the top 10 "stories you missed" this year.
  1. India grows its military: India is now the globe's leading weapons importer, accounting for nearly 1 in 10
...

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...

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...

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...

Mexican Drug Cartels Stacked With US Informants

That's how Manssor Arbabsiar was nabbed

(Newser) - The US first caught wind of Iran’s alleged plan to assassinate a Saudi diplomat when Manssor Arbabsiar contacted Mexico’s Zeta cartel to do the deed—and wound up talking to a DEA agent. But that DEA agent wasn’t specifically targeting Arbabsiar—he was just one of several...

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,...

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...

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...

53 Killed in Attack on Mexican Casino

Gunmen spray gasoline, set Monterrey casino ablaze

(Newser) - At least 53 people were killed yesterday when gunmen burst into a casino in Monterrey and started a fire that trapped gamblers inside. Survivors say the Casino Royale gunmen sprayed gasoline and ordered people to get out, but panicked gamblers fled further inside the building, the Wall Street Journal reports....

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...

Mexico Captures Top Cartel Leader—'the Monkey'

Alleged head of La Familia group is arrested

(Newser) - Mexico says it struck a "large blow" against drug cartels today by capturing the leader of the notorious La Familia gang. Authorities arrested Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargaz (aka El Chango, or the Monkey) at a highway checkpoint without incident. La Familia announced its emergence as a main player...

70% of Guns Seized in Mexico Come From US

Numbers are actually down from 2009

(Newser) - A whopping 70% of guns seized in Mexico in 2009 and 2010 came from the United States, according to figures from the ATF. Of the 29,284 firearms recovered by authorities during that time, 15,131 were made in the US and another 5,373 were foreign guns that moved...

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