Posted on 05/17/2006 1:44:44 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico — The unceasing wave of violence in this city claimed the lives of two state police officers Tuesday, including the head of the homicide division.
Juan Gonzalez and Rodolfo Eguia had just finished lunch at a local restaurant about 12:15 p.m. and were leaving in a green Jeep Cherokee when gunmen ambushed them, authorities said.
The Jeep then crashed into the corner of a building next to the restaurant, knocking out a large chunk of bricks and concrete that landed on the hood.
No arrests were made, and investigators didn't have a description of the assailants' vehicle.
A motive for the shooting remained unclear.
Gonzalez oversaw the ever-growing stack of unsolved homicides in Nuevo Laredo. More than 100 slayings have been recorded this year, most attributed to a bloody turf war between warring drug cartels.
Historically, only a fraction of homicides here are solved.
"Right now we can't give any more information," the lead investigator, Jose Martinez Lozano, said at the scene of the shooting.
He confirmed Gonzalez was the head of the ministerial police homicide division and Eguia the office secretary.
More than 36 shell casings from an assault rifle were found at the scene.
A third state police employee had been at lunch with the two victims and was in a car behind them when the shooting erupted, a state investigator said on the condition of anonymity. The employee had a panic attack at the scene and was taken to a local hospital.
"It sounded as if they were shooting at our house," said a witness whose house was next to the building that the Jeep struck.
"I crouched on the couch, and my wife threw herself on the floor until it was over," the man said. "It's sad to say this, but we don't have security in this city at all."
Tuesday's killings bring the tally of assassinated law officers in Nuevo Laredo to ten. At least 11 other officers have been injured by gunmen this year.
Gonzalez and Eguia became the first casualties for the state ministerial police this year.
Two officers from the other state police force, the preventive state police, died in an ambush March 7.
On March 16, four undercover federal police officers were gunned down inside their car while staking out a suspected drug trafficker's safe house.
The municipal police force in particular has been under attack in the past months. Two municipal officers died in separate shootouts in April and five local cops were injured during a lunchtime attack earlier this month.
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mcastillo@express-news.net
Paging Presidente Fox!
A wall isnt going to solve the problem, it may abate it a bit...but it's just going to maks the symptoms.
Regime change Mexico, 1800's style!
The public doesn't hear enough about what is really happening on the Border here in Texas, maybe if they did there would be more people wanting to put a fence there plus the National Guard. Deport all illegals!
If it werent for illegals sending money home and drug dealers maiking a living off stupid American junkies, Mexico would starve.
How could the "newcomers" do such a thing?
What regime? The Narco-Populist-Socialist waiting in the wings? Pass.
Los dos Laredos ping!
Simply amazing the hypocrisy.
Do you have some examples of posts from this site?
There is a disconnect when people see national security as a task for law enforcement and the courts (Clinton's take on the WTC attack).
And that goes for using local police forces to repel an invasion as well.
I see no violation in using the national guard for border security.
So...we'll just let the barbarians fester at the gate, eh?
We're going to need to take over Mexico, whether we want to or not, for the good of our country.
Latin America is in bad need of a big ole fashion Teddy Roosevelt spanking.
Latin America is in bad need of a big ole fashion Teddy Roosevelt spanking.
Remember that in 1912 former President Roosevelt found it necessary to seperate his political activities from those of the Reppublican Party, and go his own way under the banner of the *Bull Moose* Progressive Party.
When the smoke had cleared, the Republicans came in a distant third place in many states, fourth [behind Eugene Deb's Socialists!] in a few, including Arizona.
If that's the way the Republican Party wants to go again, so be it.
Coming soon, to an American city near you!
Ahhhh gun porn.
His biggest regret was not running for a third term...
I do not believe we should annex Mexico.
Conquer yes. And then treat it as a territory (ie Marshall Islands) the rights and priveleges that WE CHOOSE to grant.
That's fair.
Coming to a neighborhood near you thanks to "comprehensive immigration reform".
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