49 Die in Northern Mexico
49 people died in drug and gang related violence in northern Mexico that included a massacre near Madero, Tamaulipas and a massacre in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, as well as four murdered Juarez municipal police officers Thursday night.
- An Juarez municipal police official was shot to death Thursday evening in Juarez, according to Mexican news accounts.
Julian Armando Medina Villagran was shot near the intersection of calles Cordillera de los Andes and Juan Gabriel in his official vehicle while on his way home after ending his shift.
- Three Juarez municipal police officers were murdered in two separate crimes Thursday evening, according to Mexican news reports.
Two police officers were shot to death near the intersection of calles Guadalupe Chagolla y Posada Pompa in the San Angel district, while riding their official vehicle. Witnesses say the officers attempted to dismount their vehicle to escape the attack, but the failed to reach safety in time. The officers were shot with AK-47s.
A Juarez police officer was shot to death near the intersection of Eje Vial and Ponciano Arriaga. No other details on this murder were available.
- More than 20 armed hooded suspects burst into a disciplinary center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua Thursday night and shot 19 people to death, say Mexican new accounts.
Investigators at the scene say two people survived the massacre which was executed by armed suspects using AR-15 assault rifles. The scene was described as drenched in blood. Investigators at the scene found 206 .223 spent cartridge casings and 22 .308 casings.
The 19 victims were inmates at the Christian Center Faith and Life near the intersection of Tarahumaras y Belisario Dominguez in northern Chihuahua, Chihuahua.
The suspects left four messages written on cardboard.
The messages read: Brave, noble People, do not be deceived by anybody. They died because they deserved it, by their actions... this happens to pigs, rats, assassins, kidnappers, rapists. Poor assholes, deceive anyone.
Once outside, the armed suspects boarded the convoy of pickup trucks and fled the area.
- An unidentified man was found beheaded in Juarez, according to Mexican news reports.
Reports say the victim had been dumped between Valentin Fuentes and Casas Grandes in the Che Guevara district. The victim's hands were bound and was barefoot. Witnesses say the body was dumped from a dark colored pickup truck.
- A Mexican journalist working the story at the Christian Center Faith and Life massacre died of a massive heart attack, according to the Mexican news daily, La Polaka.
Andres Fernandez, 54, correspondent of Notimex, died of a heart attack immediately following the attack. According to the notice, Fernandez was an independent writer and was known to be critical of the government oftentimes.
- Two unidentified people were shot to death in two separate crimes near the border in Juarez, according to Mexican news reports.
The first murder took place after armed suspects burst into a residence near the intersection of calles Santa Barbara and Jimenez in the Ex Hipódromo district.
The second took place near calle Avelina Gallego in the México 68 district. No further information was available for either killing.
- An unidentified man was found shot to death in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, say Mexican news accounts.
The murder took place at the Equipos y Avios Integrales para la Construcción near calles Vialidad Los Nogales and Tecnológico. Investigators say an AK-47 was used in the execution. The victim was hit inside the business. The suspects escaped the crime scene aboard a Ford pickup truck.
- Mexican police and military authorities seized 26 kilograms of methamphetymine Wednesday near Punto de Revisión Carretero de Querobabi, Sonora according to Mexican news accounts.
Elements of the Mexican 4th Military Zone stopped a Toyota pickup truck marked with the business name, Autotransportes Tufesa. Investigators determined the vehicle came from Hermosillo, Sonora and was headed to Caborca, Sonora when it was stopped. The truck had four boxes containing sports equipment and inside was found the packages of methamphetymine.
No weapons were found. The driver and vehicle were turned over to Mexican Federal authorities.
- A Mexican business executive on his way home from the airport in Torreon, Coahuila, was attacked by armed suspects, say Mexican news accounts.
Juan Marcos Villarreal, a garment maker and exporter was riding in a security convoy returning from a business trip when heavily armed suspects aboard two vehicles opened fire. Villarreal was riding aboard an armored vehicle when the attack took place near the intersection of Calle Juambelz and Avenida Juarez.
According to reports, three of the security team were wounded in the exchange of gunfire, one critically. The attackers then went after a tailing vehicle a Dodge 3/4 ton with smoked windows firing repeatedly at the driver, with at least one of the passengers of the vehicle returning fire. The maneuver enabled Villarreal's escape.
- Twenty unidentified people were executed in Madero and Tampico, Tamaulipas Friday morning, according to Mexican news sources.
Elements of the Mexican navy received a call about 1000 hrs of six corpses found about seven kilometers from Playa Miramar. Shortly after another call came in about four more corpses in Francisco I. Madero district of Madero. Still later, two more calls came in about three bodies found each in the Talleres and Hidalgo districts of Madero. Still later four more bodies were found in the Lucio Blanco barrio near Tampico, Tamaulipas.
Many of the killings were apparently ignored because of Mexican interest in the World Cup soccer games which began today. The Mexican national team played an initial game today and tied South Africa, 1-1.
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