BajaNomad - Mexico police: Inmates were freed long enough to carry out revenge killings

Mexico police: Inmates were freed long enough to carry out revenge killings

Gypsy Jan - 7-26-2010 at 01:48 PM

Haven't seen any mention of this yet:

From the L.A. Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-k...
By Ken Ellingwood, Los Angeles Times

4:55 PM PDT, July 25, 2010

"Prison inmates allowed to leave their cells with weapons borrowed from guards carried out last week's killing of 17 people in northern Mexico, federal authorities said Sunday.

Ricardo Najera, spokesman for the federal attorney general's office, said prison officials in the northern state of Durango lent the inmates weapons and official vehicles to carry out several tit-for-tat killings on behalf of organized crime.

The deadliest was the July 18 attack on a birthday party at an inn in Torreon, in neighboring Coahuila state. Gunmen sprayed gunfire at revelers who had been summoned by an invitation on Facebook.

Authorities have not specified a motive for the attack, which also left 18 people wounded.

Mexican prisons, overcrowded and poorly run, are hotbeds of violent criminal activity, including telephone extortion schemes and drug operations. Allowing inmates out to act as hit men would mark a new extreme.

Najera said inmates from the same prison, in the Durango city of Gomez Palacio, are suspected in shootings this year at a pair of bars in Torreon, which sits across the state line, that killed a total of 18 people.

Four prison officials, including the director, Margarita Rojas, and the security chief, were being held under a form of house arrest as the investigation continued.

"The criminals carried out the execution as part of a settling of accounts against members of rival gangs tied to organized crime," Najera said during a news conference. He said "innocent civilians" also were killed.

The inmates returned to their cells after the attacks, Najera said.

It was not immediately clear how many prisoners or guards might have been involved in the shootings.

Federal authorities said their investigation of guards at the Durango prison had turned up four AR-15 rifles that matched shells from the July 18 slayings.

The charges point to the staggering official corruption confronting Mexican President Felipe Calderon's war on drug cartels.

The anti-crime campaign, launched in late 2006, is already beset by widespread police graft, especially at the state and local levels, where many officers moonlight as enforcers for trafficking groups.

Mexico's new interior minister, Francisco Blake, said the episode was a reminder of the "state of deterioration" afflicting many local law-enforcement institutions."

Blake vowed to investigate who gave the orders for "these cowardly and condemnable acts."

ken.ellingwood@latimes.com

Oh, I don't know

Dave - 7-26-2010 at 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gypsy Jan
Mexico's new interior minister, Francisco Blake, said the episode was a reminder of the "state of deterioration" afflicting many local law-enforcement institutions."

Sounds like criminals and law-enforcement have a very effective working relationship.

Unsupervised work passes. Can't get more trustworthy than that.

monoloco - 7-26-2010 at 03:35 PM

Maybe it's their idea of a work/release program.

surfer jim - 7-26-2010 at 03:48 PM

I heard that on the news. It gets to the point it doesn't matter anymore.

Bajahowodd - 7-26-2010 at 04:17 PM

"Mexico's new interior minister, Francisco Blake, said the episode was a reminder of the "state of deterioration" afflicting many local law-enforcement institutions."

That statement appear to come at an interesting time, when there appears to be a push from the Federal administration to create singular state police forces. I'm clueless as to just who runs the prisons, and to whom they are responsible.

That said, what happened here is not unprecedented around the world, throughout history.

Iflyfish - 7-26-2010 at 07:28 PM

Bajahowodd,

How odd indeed. I for one would be interested historic accounts of activities like this. Please provide examples.

Thanks,

Iflyfishinconstantamazmentofmyfellowman

Udo - 7-26-2010 at 07:32 PM

What is unprecedented is that all the prisoners returned to the prison! :lol:

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd

That said, what happened here is not unprecedented around the world, throughout history.

Woooosh - 7-27-2010 at 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Udo
What is unprecedented is that all the prisoners returned to the prison! :lol:

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd

That said, what happened here is not unprecedented around the world, throughout history.

not at all unprecedented. Actually for a third world country Mexico is unremarkable in its lack of security and respect for it's own people. My family in Torreon was shaken by this, as we still have a missing relative abducted by narcos from a family wedding party there last month. The Torreon police are infamous for dropping their guns and running from danger. Sadly, here in Rosarito I deal with the corrupt Tourist Police and JPGE. They are shameless in their corruption. You have to lower your social standards and ditch your moral compass and then hold your ground to survive in Mexico society. Unless you can become ruthless like them- they will eat you alive and enjoy every bite. Of course if you live in Mexico and hide in a gringo gated community- you can read about it and deny it really happens. If you live among the real people- you will see the underbelly.

[Edited on 7-27-2010 by Woooosh]

Dave - 7-27-2010 at 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Woooosh
Of course if you live in Mexico and hide in a gringo gated community- you can read about it and deny it really happens. If you live among the real people- you will see the underbelly.

They deny it because it's their reality. Incidence of crime is significantly lower in secure, gated communities.

BTW, these enclaves aren't exclusively gringo. Just real people of all stripes who understand that Mexican authority is incapable and/or unwilling to protect their lives and property.

MsTerieus - 7-27-2010 at 01:20 PM

The story is UN-F---ING-BELIEVABLE!

jeremias - 7-27-2010 at 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave

Quote:

I love the division of people who live in gated communities as not being among the "real people".

Woooosh - 7-27-2010 at 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MsTerieus
The story is UN-F---ING-BELIEVABLE!

They were let out every night, not just this one night. Let out to kill, have few tacos and return the trucks and guns to the guards. Critics of Mexico's ability to stop crime are also saying those perps we see paraded and photographed behind drug and weapons display tables are usually let go right away due to the lack of judicial process. Only 15% are prosecuted and they won't say what percent are found guilty. Crime pays, huge.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100727/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_fai...

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/07/27/mexico.prison.guard....

bajaguy - 7-27-2010 at 07:16 PM

Shoot 'em when you catch 'em

CaboRon - 7-27-2010 at 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Udo
What is unprecedented is that all the prisoners returned to the prison! :lol:

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajahowodd

That said, what happened here is not unprecedented around the world, throughout history.

Not really ...

The weapons were supplied by the guards and had to be returned.... otherwise they won't be released to do this again ....

This is true...

jak - 7-27-2010 at 07:56 PM

It boggles the mind.

wessongroup - 7-27-2010 at 08:14 PM

yeah, really funny that they came back.. :lol:

but, then I guess not.. most likely have pretty good "digs"set up on the inside.. plus they are in a fort for their own protection.. not bad if you can...

[Edited on 7-28-2010 by wessongroup]