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Dismembered bodies of 14 men found in van near U.S.-Mexico border
By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
April 18th, 2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
April 18th, 2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
Ten plastic bags containing the dismembered remains of 14 men were
discovered in a minivan near the U.S.-Mexico border town of Nuevo
Laredo. The city, adjacent to the U.S. border town of Laredo, has long
been a stronghold of the dreaded Mexican drug cartel the Zetas. The
grisly discovery was made just before sunrise in the town's business
district. A stern written warning was also found at the scene.
"These 14 bodies were apparently left in a van in the early hours of the morning with a message directed at an organized crime group," an official in the Tamaulipas state government said. The official did not provide further details about the message or the suspects behind the attack.
The victims were all male, and in their thirties. Mexican troops had rushed to the scene after receiving an anonymous warning.
Nuevo Laredo has been one of the hardest-hit towns in a crime wave that has swept the country since 2006, after the Mexican government launched a military crackdown on powerful drug cartels. Some 50,000 people are believed to have been killed in drug-related violence in the last five years.
Nuevo Laredo has been a major battleground for the Gulf and Zetas cartels, former allies now fighting over lucrative trade routes north to the United States.
In addition, Tamaulipas is one of the states most affected by violence triggered by organized crime groups in recent years, with drug cartels engaging in a violent struggle for control of drug routes.
© 2012, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.