Mexican drug battle leaves 28 dead

[bemildred]

Source: AP

Fierce fighting among apparent rival drug gangs in western Mexico has left 28 people dead on a highway, while in a nearby state more than 700 people fled villages that have become battlegrounds.

The violence, which appeared to be unrelated, escalated on Wednesday in the western states of Nayarit and Michoacán, where drug cartels have been warring over territory.

Police in Nayarit were initially responding to a complaint of a kidnapping by a group of armed men who escaped on a federal highway near the town of Ruiz, when they heard a report of a shootout, according to the state prosecutor's office.

They found 28 men lying dead and four others wounded, as well as bullet casings from high-powered weapons and 10 abandoned vehicles.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/26/mexican-drug-war-western-states

[defendandprotect]

1. Thanks -- if US keeps this fake Drug War going, we'll all be "Mexico" -- !!

[tolucano]

5. The narcos have taken over illegal immigration

and that includes holding many for more money from their families, etc. It would not end with drugs, there is big money in illegal immigration also. Not to mention these in military uniforms use them to rob at roadblocks, that would not end. I am not against drugs being legalized, just that the narcos would not go away. Just shift direction. Child trafficing is something that is big here and does not get talked abbout much especially there, the narcos are involved in it also.

[defendandprotect]

15. This has to be understood from the highest perspectives ... which is

elitism and capitalism -- those profiting from this upheaval --

Hard to believe but they push perpetual wars and violence -- it is the only

way the rightwing can rise and survive.

We need to begin by ending the Drug War --

The rightwing is perverted -- as we see over and again -- and the rise of the

right brings further abuse -- including sexual abuse -- of females and youth.

[RSillsbee]

21. IOW it's the prohibition era all over again. NT

[Hangingon]

2. Also covered in borderlandbeat

http://www.borderlandbeat.com/

Notice in the pics that they didn't bother to take the body armor and automatic weapons.

[bemildred]

6. LA Times gave it two column inches or so.

I'm perplexed as to why this sort of thing gets so little attention. Are we to take this sort of massacre as normal now?

I'm not sure what you mean about leaving the weapons and armor, unless you mean they are no big deal, not essential to be dealt with.

[tolucano]

7. The part that really does not get reported is the

roadblocks and robbing the people. They like to take trucks and suv's also. They seem to want it to look like only the narcos are affected and there it's harder to find information than here except on the main media. You have to look past them for the information.

[bemildred]

12. It may well be preferred that it all be thought of as drug related.

The alternative is a spontanenous breakdown of civil order, which might well be thought to look even worse.

[tolucano]

13. It's not really spontaneous

people here have long know of the breakdown, the narcos are just taking advantage of it.

[defendandprotect]

16. Agree -- the drug war has brought lawlessness rather than law and order ...

and it has happened because the drug war is a fake --

elites and government officials are profiting from it --

and that requires total corruption of our government, government agencies, courts, judges,

prison system -- etal.

And it is all well on its way --

[Hangingon]

8. I think it is a comment on the availabilty of mil grade weapons

to the cartels. They don't need to pick up an M-4. No, this does not say anything about gun running from the border states. Semi-auto rifles do not compare to military assault weapons.

[tolucano]

10. You are correct. On blog narco they say the people heard

grenades also. The full automatic weapons and grenades are coming from south of us and our own military. The narcos have friends everywhere.

[bemildred]

11. Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

Like a war zone then.

[tolucano]

14. Yes exactly. I think the longer people try not to accept that

the more prolonged it will be. Acknowledging it may damage our tourism and money flow from the north.

[tolucano]

3. There is a video clip in this link, scroll down.

http://guerracontraelnarco.blogspot.com/2011/05/reportan-enfrentamiento-en-nayarit-27.html

"Los agresores vestían uniformes militares."

They were wearing military uniforms which they use to rob, terrorize, rape, kidnap, etc. The police were responding to kidnapping reports. The news always reports it as narco on narco crimes and leaves out the things they are doing to the innocents.

Blog del narco has pictures

http://www.blogdelnarco.com/2011/05/sicarios-rivales-protagonizan-batalla.html#more

Lots of stories and pictures in the forum (foro).

[Jefferson23]

18. Thank you so much for the information and welcome to DU. n/t

[a la izquierda]

4. Ahhh, hell...

this is precisely where my research is. I guess it's good that I postponed my trip for a year. :(
This sucks. Poor Mexico.

[tolucano]

9. If you are coming down, especially in the area of

nuevo laredo, talk to people there locally about where is safer to go. They will gladly tell you what you do not read in the papers. Stay away from the libre autopistas and stay on the cuotas. The narcos are using a lot of roadblocks in that area with military uniforms.

I see you are not coming right now, but maybe someone can use the information.

[a la izquierda]

17. I know...

I spent a year in Jalisco, Nayarit and San Luis Potosi in 2008/2009. It was amazing. I spend parts of nearly every year in different parts of the country. But I can't this year. I have friends who just drove down to DF from the states. They made it with little trouble, fortunately.
The locals, not the cops, are the best sources of information. You're absolutely right on that.

[LetTimmySmoke]

19. TAX and LEGALIZE

This is a no-brainer.

[mdmc]

20. 29 dead, 700 flee as gang battles hit west Mexico

Source: ap son

MORELIA, Mexico – A gunbattle between rival drug gangs in western Mexico left 29 bullet-ridden bodies in fake military uniforms heaped across a roadway and inside bullet-riddled vehicles in the Pacific coast state of Nayarit, the army said Thursday.

The bodies, all male, were found Wednesday scattered around 14 shot-up pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, two of which had bulletproofing.

Television images of the scene near the town of Ruiz showed what appeared to have been a convoy of cartel vehicles that was ambushed or engaged by another column of gunmen on a stretch of rural highway. Military-style boots, bulletproof vests, hand grenades and thousands of rounds of ammunition were found at the scene.

Federal and state officials gave conflicting reports on the incident.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/lt_drug_war_mexico

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We are winning the drug war