[Mexico:]Setback for Calderon: 12 from military slain

MORELIA, Mexico — Twelve people tortured, slain and dumped along a mountain road were soldiers, a state official said Tuesday. But the army quickly denied the announcement.

The bound and blindfolded bodies of 11 men and one woman were found late Monday near the town of La Huacana in President Felipe Calderon’s home state of Michoacan, which has been a center of his crackdown on organized crime.

Interim Michoacan state prosecutor J. Jesus Montejano told reporters Tuesday the 12 were soldiers gathering intelligence in the state. But a Defense Department official said they were not soldiers and a statement would be issued shortly. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not yet authorized to speak on the issue.

Montejano said the case was turned over to the federal attorney general’s office. There have been no arrests so far.

Initial reports indicated the victims were likely killed over the weekend, when federal agents arrested Arnoldo Rueda Medina, a chief of operations of the Michoacan-based La Familia cartel.

Police say his arrest Saturday set off a string of brazen attacks against federal forces that left six federal police officers and two soldiers dead. Heavily armed gunmen threw grenades and fired on federal police stations and hotels where the agents were staying in three states.

Federal forces arrested politicians in several of those cities, including La Huacana, during an unprecedented sweep in May. Seven mayors, one former mayor and the state prosecutor remain jailed accused of protecting the La Familia cartel.

Agencia Quadratin AP
In this video frame grab, authorities gather at the
crime scene in Michoacan state on Monday

“Set back for Obama: Taliban lose 33”

2 posted on 07/14/2009 4:01:26 PM PDT by GeronL ( Patriotic Insurrectionist at http://tyrannysentinel.blogspot.com)

To: NorwegianViking; Texas resident; GulfBreeze; rellimpank; AH_LiveRight; BGHater; nbhunt; La Lydia; ..

Ping!

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

3 posted on 07/14/2009 4:23:52 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch (Mexico - beyond your expectations.)

Gory picture, but thank you for posting it. I think more people need to see what is happening in Mexico, because we are so close to have it happening here in Texas. I am curious to know how you captured the video frame. Any special software to get the picture? Thanks again Swinney Switch for keeping us up-to-date on this important topic.

4 posted on 07/14/2009 5:09:19 PM PDT by NorwegianViking (Organizing for America)

It’s posted on the Chronicle article, Norwegian, I’m not that savy.

5 posted on 07/14/2009 5:17:03 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch (Mexico - beyond your expectations.)

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