Acapulco Massacre: 25 People Killed, 15 Decapitated

Acapulco.- The world famous tourist destination that is known for its beautiful beaches and luxury resorts, saw its first massacre of 2011. Early this Saturday morning, 25 people were found dead, 14 of which were decapitated and another was semi-disemboweled in one particular incident.

15 bodies were dumped on the sidewalk of the commercial center; Plaza Sendero.

Investigators also found three messages with references to Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán.

The bodies were reported to the local police around 12:35 a.m. by an anonymous tip phoned into the emergency hotline (066).

The 15 bodies that were dumped on the sidewalk were also covered in dirt and sand, presumably they were killed at another location before being dumped in front of the Plaza Sendero.

Witnesses told MILENIO that at least 8 vehicles with armed men drove up and set up roadblocks along the Cayaco and Puerto Marqués streets. The commandos then began to threaten bystanders, local shopkeepers and the customers inside, "telling them to shutdown their businesses and for everyone to clear the street or they would be shot."

The siege lasted about 15 minutes and it closed the busy avenue to the local transit services and other public service vehicles. During this time, police officers did not make their presence known, and authorities didn't respond to the scene until well after the assailants had fled.

In a statement released by the Guerrero SSP, "elements of the Municipal, Ministerial, State and the Federal police, aided by the Army, have today reinforced security in the port city of Acapulco”.

He also revealed that the municipal police had not interfered with the response “they left as soon as they arrived, almost immediately" waiting only long enough for the Army and Federal police to arrive and secure the crime scene.

Over a stretch of 20 meters along the sidewalk of the commercial center, lay the bodies of 15 men who had been brutally murdered. One of them had been partially decapitated, all the victims were between the ages of 16 and 30 years old.

The bloodstained lamp posts and crimson water in the fountain at the center of the commercial zone indicated the killers tried to wash their hands of the crime they committed before making their escape.

Three bodies had messages attatched to them that made references to the cartel of el Chapo Guzmán.
The first two read:

“This will happen to all those trying to take over this plaza, Atentamente El Cártel Pesado. Chapo Guzmán”.

“To all citizens, no more cuotas. Atentamente El Chapo Guzmán”.

It is not clear if these are addressed to, or from, the Sinaloa cartel.

In another incident that also occurred early Saturday morning in colonia La Cima, a body was found in a late model Volkswagen with several gunshot wounds suffered from an AK-47.

6 more bodies were later discovered inside a taxi (2 in the trunk) along theVicente Guerrero blvd, and another 2 were found dumped in a canal near the crime scene. A few hours later a man was gunned down on Chopin street, in a small colonia only one kilometer away from the scene of the massacre of Plaza Sendero.

This leaves a total of 25 people dead in less than 24 hours.

Original article by Javier Trujillo for Milenio
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