Published Tuesday | February 19, 2008
Mexican Mayor Says Bomb Won't IntimidateBy E. EDUARDO CASTILLO Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press

MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico City's mayor said Tuesday his government was not intimidated by a bomb apparently intended for a police director, and pledged to forge ahead with the capital's battle against organized crime.

"If their aim was to intimidate, they are not going to succeed," Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said at a public event. "There is a security program in place and we are going to keep moving ahead."

Mexico City Attorney General Rodolfo Felix Cardenas on Monday announced that the target of the homemade bomb, which exploded two blocks from police headquarters last Friday, was a police official, whom he did not identify.

The bomb's apparently premature explosion killed Juan Manuel Meza Campos, 44, and seriously injured Tania Vazquez Munoz, 22, who was captured on a security camera walking arm-in-arm with Meza before the blast.

Meza is seen holding a black bag, which police believe contained the explosive. In a second video, Meza can be seen after the explosion, still alive but with his body and face almost completely destroyed.

Authorities boosted security at all strategic locations in Mexico City, including public transportation, government offices, shopping centers, hospitals and schools.

Police have not established a motive for the bombing, but believe it was likely linked to organized crime rather than leftist rebels who bombed pipelines in recent months.

In recent weeks, authorities have captured more than a dozen presumed members of the powerful and dangerous Sinaloa drug cartel in the city.

Mexico has suffered a wave of shootouts, grenade attacks and execution-style killings that left more than 2,500 dead nationwide last year. But Mexico City has traditionally been more of a meeting place for traffickers than a base for their operations.

Also Tuesday, President Felipe Calderon announced a monthly raise for Mexico's soldiers of $46 in recognition of their work battling "the country's new enemies," organized criminals and drug traffickers.

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