Saturday, April 03, 2010

Holy crap! Mexican border prisons under seige

A Valley TV station reports:

Three inmates at a Reynosa prison are dead following a Friday evening attack by armed men.

The Tamaulipas Ministry of Public Safety (SSP) reported that gunmen tried to seize the "Centro de EjecuciĆ³n de Sanciones" or CEDES prison around 7 p.m. Friday.

The SSP reported that a convoy of 10 SUVs pulled up to the prison and that armed men exchanged gunfire with prison guards.

Authorities reported that three prisoners were killed in the incident.

The SSP reported that authorities were able to repel their attackers and restore order to the prison.

A motive in the attack was not revealed.

The identities of the three killed in the attack was not released but authorities said the case remains under investigaiton by state officials.

The attack follows eight days after 41 inmates escaped at another state prison in Matamoros.

That's a pretty skimpy media account and there's a lot we don't know. What was the purpose of the attack? Was it a failed prison break, or was the purpose to kill the three prisoner/casualties, possibly because they were informants or members of a rival gang? Quien sabe? (UPDATE: BBC reports that the raid actually successfully liberated 13 inmates.)

Reporters covering this story are risking their lives, but police, state law enforcement agencies, intelligence officers, and federal enforcers on both side of the river actually have a lot of information. They may not be able to solve these crimes, but I still believe they should at least report on them in an environment where the media (justly) fears to do so in significant detail.

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought it was all a misnomer!

Anonymous said...

What I'm beginning to understand is that the killing is rampant. There are the drug cartels, sure, but with so much money involved and poverty so high, there are many players: the army, the state police, the city police, gangs, drug cartels. Anyone can kill in this environment and nothing will be or can be done or said. Imagine what it is like to live in this despairing environment.

The U.S. builds a wall.

Anonymous said...

As long as there is money to be made the war will continue. What are the cartels to do when California legalizes Marijuana. And requires it to be grown in/on state licensed farms. I't will sure cut into their profit margin.

Ham2mtr