Marines find 72 bodies in northern Mexico

[cory777]

Source: Associated Press

Mexican marines found the dumped bodies of 72 people at a rural location in northern Mexico following a shootout with suspected drug cartel gunmen that left one marine and three suspects dead, the Navy reported late Tuesday.

The cadavers of 58 men and 14 women were found at a spot near the Gulf coast south of the border city of Matamoros. It appears to be the largest drug-cartel body dumping ground found in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against drug trafficking in late 2006.

"The federal government categorically condemns the barbarous acts committed by criminal organizations," The Navy said in a statement. "Society as a whole should condemn these type of acts, which illustrate the absolute necessity to continue fighting crime with all rigor."

Mexican drug cartels often use vacant lots, ranches or mine shafts to dump the bodies of executed rivals or kidnap victims. The Navy did not give details on the victims' identities, who had killed them or whether the bodies had been buried.

Read more: http://www.salon.com/wires/allwires/2010/08/24/D9HQB41G1_lt_drug_war_mexico/index.html

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[cory777]

1. additional info

Reuters

FACTBOX-Worst attacks in Mexico's drug war

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN25127251

[Kringle]

2. live by the sword, die by the sword ....,nt

[timo]

3. san fernando

it's about an hour from my house, yesterday the city of Reynosa Tamps was on lockdown because of running gun battles and narco road blocks, and calderon announced "its going to get worse" !!!!!

[rabs]

4. The 72 victims were South and Central Americans

Lala Pomavilla

who were trying to reach the United States, according to the only survivor, Luis Freddy Lala Pomavilla, from El Salvador and who was shot in the neck and feigned dead.

He told authorities that a narco-gang had tried to extort the group and when they resisted, the gang opened fire on them. The survivor said the 72 dead were from Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras and Brazil. (Another story has four victims from Brazil.)

"Yo me salvé porque me creyeron muerto, pero antes de correr a pedir auxilio, escuché gritos y más disparos que venían desde el rancho", comentó.

"I was saved because they thought me dead, but before running to seek help, I heard screams and more shots from the ranch," the witness said.

More in Spanish:

http://www.telesurtv.net/noticias/secciones/nota/77173-NN/sobreviviente-declara-que-las-72-victimas-encontradas-en-fosa-mexicana-eran-inmigrantes/