Thread: Gunmen block roads after Mexican drug lord killed

Gunmen block roads after Mexican drug lord killed

By Robin Emmott Robin Emmott – 1 hr 25 mins ago

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) – Rival gunmen blocked roads near the U.S. border and strung up threatening banners on Saturday after marines killed one of Mexico's top kingpins, and Washington reaffirmed its support for the country's drug war.

Gunmen used buses and trucks to block roads in Reynosa, a Gulf cartel stronghold across the border from McAllen, Texas, and west of Matamoros, where marines on Friday shot dead gang leader Ezequiel "Tony Tormenta" Cardenas.

In an apparent riposte from rivals, gunmen from the Zetas gang hung messages between trees and over bridges in Reynosa and in cities across northeastern Tamaulipas state, mocking Cardenas' death. "Once again, the Gulf traitors' destiny is evident ... there's no place for them, not even in hell," read one banner that was signed by the Zetas.

Fighting broke out between gunmen and soldiers in Reynosa, and two assailants died on Saturday, newspaper El Norte said.

U.S. President Barack Obama rang Mexican leader Felipe Calderon on Saturday "to reaffirm United States support for Mexico's efforts to end the impunity of organized criminal groups," the White House said in a statement.

More than 31,000 people have been killed across Mexico since December 2006, when Calderon took office and launched his cartel crackdown. The government is under increasing pressure to contain the burgeoning death toll.

Soldiers and federal police across the region quickly broke up the roadblocks in Reynosa and took down the banners. But many residents were still wary of revenge attacks, as the Zetas, the former armed wing of the Gulf cartel, try to capitalize on the weakened state of their erstwhile employers.

Some people ventured out on the streets of Matamoros on Saturday, walking past buildings with fresh bullet holes from Friday's gunfights. But the U.S. consulate was closed and its weekend visa services were postponed until further notice.

Tamaulipas has witnessed some of Mexico's most shocking drug war violence this year, including the murder of a popular gubernatorial candidate -- Mexico's highest-level political murder in 16 years -- the massacre of 72 migrant workers, bombs hidden in cars and slain youths strung from bridges.

"It's a huge relief to know that Tony Tormenta has been eliminated, his gangsters were everywhere. But we're still worried because they'll find another boss, and who knows what the Zetas will do," said a supermarket worker in Reynosa who gave his name as Oscar.

ANOTHER SLAIN MAYOR

Underscoring the widespread nature of the violence, the mayor of a town in the northwestern state of Durango was beaten to death by masked gunmen on Friday, state prosecutors said.

San Bernardo Mayor Jaime Lozoya, who had just taken office and was driving along a highway with aides and his daughter when he was attacked, was one of at least 18 mayors killed in Mexico since 2008. His predecessor fled the town last year after receiving threats from drug gangs.

Gulf kingpin Cardenas' was the fourth top drug baron to be killed or captured in Mexico since December of last year in a string of coups for Calderon's army-led drug war. But beheadings, shootouts and the deaths of innocent bystanders have overshadowed those successes as the war rages.

Cardenas, 48, was the brother of former Gulf cartel leader Osiel Cardenas, who was extradited to Texas in 2007. Known as "Tony Tormenta" or Tony Storm, he had a $5 million bounty on his head in the United States and ran the gang with Jorge Eduardo Costilla, known as "El Coss," who is still at large.

The Gulf cartel, which also has cells across the United States, is pitted against the Zetas across northeastern Mexico. That violence has spread to Mexico's richest city Monterrey, killing an unprecedented 720 people in and around the industrial hub near the Texan border, worrying Washington and investors with factories exporting to the United States.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101106/wl_ ... xico_drugs

Gunfire Captured on Camera

Last Update: 2:09 am

REYNOSA - The violence in Mexico continued Saturday. Twitter was flooded with posts describing the gun battles that raged in the border city throughout the day.

Explosions and automatic weapon fire could be seen and heard on amateur video posted to YouTube.

The Twitter reports claimed the Mexican Military was involved and that helicopters were seen flying in the area; other reports told people to stay inside their homes and identified several streets that were blocked off. No injuries or deaths have been reported in Saturday's violence in Reynosa.
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This is bad news in that now a bigger turf war is going to be the result.

The real solution to all of this is to legalize pot. Mexico isn't Columbia, they can't grow cocaine like in Columbia and therefore pot is their major product. Legalizing it would hurt the cartels in a huge huge way.
Fighting the cartels all the time might not work because now there all those tough guy teenagers involved and they are much worse than the older ones. The older ones have been brutal but nothing compared to what the younger ones do.

[quote="elpasoborn"]This is bad news in that now a bigger turf war is going to be the result.

The real solution to all of this is to legalize pot. Mexico isn't Columbia, they can't grow cocaine like in Columbia and therefore pot is their major product. Legalizing it would hurt the cartels in a huge huge way.
Fighting the cartels all the time might not work because now there all those tough guy teenagers involved and they are much worse than the older ones. The older ones have been brutal but nothing compared to what the younger ones do.[/quote.

elpasoborn, legalization of pot won't make the criminal behavior and violence go away. The cartels that make so much money in the drug trade won't simply roll over and disappear if pot is legalized. That's a huge myth being perpetuated. These people are enormously wealthy, well connected and very resourceful. They would simply find another drug or different method to continue making their money.

I shouldn't have said the, the real solution.

I'm sure it wouldn't be a long term solution by any means and I agree that the cartels have enough money, resources and wherewithall to do other things. But at least with legalizing pot there could be a pause....at least a period of time for whoever could do it to go in and take control. Otherwise what? Eventually and it may be very soon, those cartels are going to own the southern border and will be here on our side in a much bigger way. I was just wondering today whether there might not already be major camps of cartel people in El Paso.
I heard some ominous things today about the David Hartley case over on Falcon Lake and it came from people that are involved in law enforcement on different levels. That the Sheriffs department in Zapata may have several employees who are associated with the cartels....probably Zetas. That this has been the suspicion for the last couple of years. The specific employees are all apparently very in the money, have extravagant homes and luxury vehicles and toys. If anyone here at ALIPAC has ever been to Zapata, you would know that is certainly not the norm for that place. And that it all stems from Reynoso.
I also thought, what a great way for Mexico to overwhelm the US with narcos......before hand, send in as many poor people from Mexico to create upheaval with the economy and US resources and distract from the security of the country.