NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico (Reuters) - Gunmen shot dead five men in a vehicle workshop in this violent city on the U.S. border in a brutal resurgence of suspected drug violence, prosecutors said on Tuesday. Hitmen toting pistols surprised the five men late on Monday night at the workshop in Nuevo Laredo, which lies over the Rio Grande from Laredo, Texas, firing at least 15 shots at close range. The latest killings occurred in the city's Anahuac district, which is notorious for drug dealing, and ended an 11-day stretch without a fatal shooting. Witnesses said one man was shot several times in the face, usually a coded message signifying betrayal in the language of the warring cartels. Another victim attempted to hide beneath a truck in the workshop, but was shot regardless.
Violence along Mexico's northern border has increased since Fox launched "the mother of all battles" on drug cartels and organized crime in January. | Just a tip, Foxy. When you pick a name for an operation, I'd avoid using "mother of all battles". It didn't work so well the last time, ask Sammy. |
The U.S. State Department has issued several travel alerts for Nuevo Laredo this year, warning that drug-related violence was getting out of hand in border cities. |