Thread: Prominent Rancher Murdered in Northern Mexico

Prominent rancher murdered in northern Mexico:

Published April 25, 2011

EFE

Mexico City – A rancher who had ties to dairy firm Lala was murdered over the weekend in the northern Mexican city of Torreon and no arrests have yet been made in the case, a spokesman for the Coahuila state Attorney General's Office told Efe on Monday.

Carlos Ignacio Valdes Berlanga was killed on Easter Sunday by a group of armed men who went to his house.

The 62-year-old businessman "was surprised at home by two armed subjects who threatened his household staff so they could gain access via the service entrance," the AG's office spokesman said.

Valdes Berlanga realized what was happening, tried to flee and was shot by one of the gunmen.

The rancher was shot 15 times and his body was dumped between Torreon's Madrid and Quebec streets, near his house.

One of Valdes Berlanga's cousins was apparently kidnapped around this time last year, prompting many members of the family to move to the United States.

The rancher had been the victim of extortion rackets run by organized crime groups on several occasions.

Valdes Berlanga was well known in political and business circles in the La Laguna region, and he served for several years as president of the local ranchers association.

La Laguna, a region that includes parts of Coahuila and neighboring Durango state, is the object of a bitter turf war between the Los Zetas and Sinaloa drug cartels.

Lala, which has 43 dairy plants and sells its products in Mexico, the United States and Guatemala, has not commented on Valdes Berlanga's killing.

A total of 15,270 people died in drug-related violence in Mexico last year, and more than 36,000 people have died since President Felipe Calderon declared war on the country's cartels shortly after taking office in December 2006.

Calderon has deployed tens of thousands of soldiers and Federal Police officers across the country to combat drug cartels and other criminal organizations.

The anti-drug operation, however, has failed to put a dent in the violence due, according to experts, to drug cartels' ability to buy off the police and even high-ranking officials.

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2 ... rn-mexico/

disgusting and sad, all at the same time

Originally Posted by jamesw62

disgusting and sad, all at the same time

I agree.

Rest in peace Mr. Berlanga.

God blessings.