Gunmen kill political leader and three others in northern Mexico

San Diego Union-Tribune /AP ^ | January 15, 2007

[SwinneySwitch]

MONTERREY, Mexico – Gunmen burst into the home of a Mexican political leader in the northern state of Durango, fatally shooting him, two family members and an employee, authorities said Monday.

Jaime Meraz Martinez, 63, of the left-leaning Democratic Revolution Party, or PRD, was shot three times Sunday night and died a couple of hours later at a local hospital, said Ruben Lopez, a spokesman for Durango state investigators.

Meraz's wife, Maria Meraz, 61, his 34-year-old son, Jaime Meraz, and Jorge Marquez, a 22-year-old taxi driver, also were killed, Lopez said.

Lopez said Meraz's daughter-in-law was wounded in the attack and told police at least two gunmen were involved. He said no arrests had been made and that investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the killings.

Meraz was an adviser for the PRD in Durango at the time of his death. In the 1980s, he was PRD president in Durango and a state legislator.

Meraz, who owned several taxis, also helped found a taxi owners association in Gomez Palacios, a city 300 miles (480 kilometers) southwest of Laredo, Texas.

[SwinneySwitch]

Ping!

If you want on or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepmail me.

[Alia]

Ping.

[InABunkerUnderSF]

Sounds like someone chose "plumbo" instead of "plata".

If the invasion isn't stopped some day the US will be just like México

[RunningWolf]

Back in 1990 I flew down into Durango to meet friends that were doing volunteer work. We then drove west up thru the mountains to Mazatlan to catch the ferry over to the Baja peninsula.

The sub tropical mountain areas were very exotic and beautiful with lush but different vegetation trees at 12,500 ft, parrots flying about etc.

I always felt an element of danger there though, and even more as we got to Mazatlan. About 20 miles our of Mazatlan there is a huge foreboding prison. Mazatlan was a stark contrast against itself, entrances to the resorts we stayed in one one side of the street, the squalor of an abandoned city on the other side, dogs laying dead in sun downtown, no one to gather it up etc.

The there were the armed federal e's tearing about in jeeps and pick ups. Bandito's with rank on their uniforms is what they looked like.

Also flying Air Mexican was a trip back then to, when it came time for boarding you had better charge the gate like everyone else otherwise a Mexican was going to grab your seat and then 'no habla engles'

W.

[dennisw]

plomo!

[peeps36]

My cousin rented a condo in Mazatlan for his honeymoon and he had to leave after the first day for safety reasons.He told me people were shooting and running all over the place with guns.He was afraid to go outside his condo because it was like a war zone outside.They got on the first flight out of there and spent the remainder of their time in the Florida Keys.

[Kitten Festival]

Since when do dopers hate leftwingers. This sounds like a drug deal gone bad.

[Founding Father]

Thank you for the ping, I appreciate it.

[tom paine 2]

Durango was where "The Treasure of Sierra Madre" was shot. Lots of banditos.

[wolfcreek]

You'd think the Pols in this country would be at least a little worried.