Thread: Eight killed in Mexico in foiled drug gang rescue

Eight killed in Mexico in foiled drug gang rescue

7 mins ago

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Six police and two jail guards were killed in Mexico on Saturday when gunmen tried to free drug cartel suspects from a prison convey, the latest in the country's increasingly violent drug conflict.

Police in the western state of Nayarit came under attack as they drove out of an airport where they had picked up nine suspected members the Beltran Leyva cartel, including senior member Jeronimo Gamez, known as "The Cousin", the public security ministry said.

The gunmen failed to free the prisoners and escaped in three trucks, the ministry said.

The bold attack came two days after U.S. President Barack Obama visited Mexico and pledged to step up the fight against ruthless drug cartels waging turf wars along the joint border.

Gamez was arrested in late January and is accused of organizing purchases of cocaine from Colombia for the Beltran Leyva gang, one of Mexico's most violent.

Mexico is struggling to contain a surge in drug violence that killed 6,300 people in Mexico last year and is starting to spill over into the United States.

Last year, two anti-drug agents were jailed for taking bribes of up to $500,000 from the Beltran Leyva cartel,

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090419/wl_ ... drugs_gang

This type of rescue is the same thing that will happen in America just as soon as Emperor Obama brings the Gitmo thugs here.

I'm not worried about them and the prison holding them. I'm worried about the "visitors" these prisoners will get here in America.

At least in Gitmo there wasn't the oppurtunity to have visitors.

Just one more stupid thing our boy president has decided afterwards rather than before his decision.

He's not competent to run his own business let alone the used to be powerful US of A.

Police in the western state of Nayarit came under attack as they drove out of an airport where they had picked up nine suspected members the Beltran Leyva cartel, including senior member Jeronimo Gamez, known as "The Cousin", the public security ministry said.

The cousin would translate into the Spanish word El Primo but as well as meaning cousin Primo can have the same meaning it does in English the best.

Apr 19, 2:54 AM EDT

Mexico says 8 killed in attack on police convoy

By MARK STEVENSON
Associated Press Writer

AP Photo/Abisai Barajas

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MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Eight Mexican law enforcement officers were killed Saturday in a brazen attack on a police convoy transporting an important drug suspect to a prison in western Mexico.

Gunmen killed four federal police officers, two federal investigative agents and two prison employees in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the transfer, the Public Safety Department said.

"They fulfilled their duty with professionalism, commitment and dedication," the department said of the fallen officers.

The assailants have not been identified, but the department said the attack appeared to have been an attempt to free a top lieutenant of the Beltran-Leyva cartel named Jeronimo Gamez, who was arrested on the outskirts of Mexico City in January.

Gamez was taken from Mexico City to an airport in the Pacific coast state of Nayarit, and from there was being transported overland to a prison in the state capital, Tepic.

Police said gunmen in three vehicles opened fire shortly after the police convoy left the Nayarit airport.

Gamez and eight other suspects were successfully delivered to the prison.

Prisoners in Mexico are often transported in convoys of regular SUVs, pickups or buses accompanied by heavily armed officers. Federal police do have armored trucks for prisoner transports, but it was unclear whether such vehicles were used in the Saturday convoy.

Prosecutors say Gamez is a cousin of Arturo Beltran Leyva, one of Mexico's most powerful drug lords.

They have accused Gamez of acting as Beltran Leyva's representative in negotiating drug deals with Colombian traffickers.

More than 10,650 people have been killed in drug violence in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon sent out 45,000 troops in 2006 to directly confront the traffickers.

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