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How the gunfights in north Mexico that left 22 dead unfolded
VILLA UNION, Mexico (AP) ‐ When dozens of pickup trucks crowded with armed men and mounted machine guns roared into Villa Union, residents of the small town near the U.S. border began to realize they were the target of a military-style invasion. What followed were hours-long gunbattles between a company-sized unit (estimates of its size range from 70 to 150 men) and state police that left 22 people dead. At least 50 homes and buildings riddled with bullet holes.In the aftermath, authorities found 25 abandoned vehicles, some with machine-gun turrets and welded armoring; many had professionally printed placards identifying them as drug cartel vehicles. At least four had .50 caliber mounted machine guns. Resident claimed there were at least twice that many pickups, with some escaping. Residents, most of whom asked that their names not be used for fear of reprisals, described how the day of terror unfolded. Saturday, Nov. 30, 10:00 a.m. Residents of the town of 6,000 were still recovering from Thanksgiving, when hundreds of relatives return from the United States to join their families in a border version of the holiday many here refer to as Dia del Pavo, or Turkey Day. Local business owners were enjoying good sales this year. After a period of terror between 2010 and 2013, the old Zetas Cartel that had dominated the town had been weakened, and violence had dropped. A local roast chicken stand began heating up the rotisserie Saturday for the day’s business. "Ever since Thursday night we had been having good sales; a lot of people showed up for Turkey Day," said an employee at a food stand in town’s main square. Posted by: Besoeker 2019-12-03 |
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