Rival Gangs Riot in Mexican Prison

A riot between rival gangs has broken out at a jail in Mexico. The conflict killed two and injured at least seven. Here's more.
A standoff at a prison in the Mexican border town of Ciudad Juarez.




Inmates stood on the roof after a riot killed two and injured at least seven.




Two rival gangs confronted each other as more than a hundred relatives of inmates visited.




"We started hearing gun shots and then the guards sounded desperate through the radios saying there was a shootout and they would not allow anyone in and to close the gates, everything. The guard told us, 'Run out of here because if you stay here you won't be able to get out and give thank God you didn't go in.'"




Authorities regained control of the prison with help from fireman, ambulances and federal forces.




But Ciudad Juarez, on the border of Texas and New Mexico, has become an example of the spiralling violence by rival gangs fighting over the lucrative drug trade into the United States.




Mexican President Felipe Calderon made stamping out drug cartels his first priority, but drug-related murders have skyrocketed since he took office in 2006.




The president of a citizens' group against crime says the country should consider legalizing some drugs to fight the influence of cartels.

"If plan A does not give us the immediate result, legalizing could give it to us, practically with a single blow, and we have to measure all the consequences. I understand this could be used to judge me and accuse me of being crazy, but if we don't see all of our options, we will simply burden ourselves with taboos and we won't solve the problem."




An estimated 26,000 people have died in the last four years from drug-related violence.




And the cartels could be upping the stakes with high profile killings and car bombs.




The US provides Mexico with $1 billion for security, but many say the drug war cannot be won without clamping down on assault weapons smuggled southward.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Mexican
• President
• Felipe
• Calderon
• Mexico
• Gangs
• RIots
• Texas
• Ciudad
• Juarez

[J2Scorpion]

The real crime here are those Youtube adds

[sjonessonejs]

I... Speak... Slowly...

[happymeltedcity]

Mexicans get real grouchy if you take away their tacos.

[RionCrowfoot25]

@no15145 its a job, pull the stick out of your ass

[no15145]

@RionCrowfoot25 pure ignorance... 

[LaiLus17]

@MrDmCx

fckin kid fck usa u mad JAJA

VIVA MEXICO GRINGO

[RionCrowfoot25]

couldn't everyone come together and eat a taco........ tacos solve all problems..... stupid fucking spics

[bassplayeroceanside]

Where is a MOAB when you need one?

[StickyTech]

Crazy is this war on drugs which only financially fuels the violence legalize and control the drugs and the cartels will fall.

[MrDmCx]

fuckin mexicans