Resurgence of Violence in North Coahuila

Borderland Beat posted by DD republished from Proceso and el Norte  

 Piedras Negras, Mexico (July 25, 2015) .- The violence caused by the drug war has had a resurgence in northern Coahuila.

The awakening of what the authorities themselves have called 'the monster' of drug trafficking has resulted in executions and shootings.

In Piedras Negras, at least five innocent civilians and a suspect were injured after a clash sparked yesterday morning.

 Through a statement, the State Security Commission reported that the incident occurred during a patrol..

Riding on Boulevard Eliseo Mendoza Berrueto, agents of the Group of Special Weapons and Tactics detected a Jetta car with plates of Coahuila.

Officials said the car matched the description of a car that had been reported as involved in depriving a person of their liberty.  The officers signaled the Jetta to stop and the suspected criminals fired on the agents.  and the agents responded to the aggression with gunfire.

In the shooting one of the criminals was wounded, while the other two were arrested on the spot.

The detainees identified the injured person as Mario Arturo Lopez Barcenas, plaza boss of a criminal group (Zetas) operating in this border city.

 Unofficially it was reported that at least five innocent civilians were also injured..One of the injured was an innocent driver of Ford Escape which the Jetta driven by the suspects crashed into.  it was said that he suffered a "severe nervous breakdown" at the site and taken to a nearby hospital.  

The other 4 injured civilians were passengers on a city urban transport minibus that were hurt when the Gates truck crashed into it.  The driver of the minibus had good responses and realizing some of his passengers were injured did not  even stop and went straight to a nearby hospital about 15 blocks away to get treatment for his injured passengers.   

At the scene medical attention was also given to civilians who had minor injuries from shrapnel bullet, resulting from the shots fired by the crew of the Jetta.

 When the excitement was over, confusion still reigned, as nobody could say what happened, they all went on their normal distractions, with headphones or chatting.

 Questions have been raised about the governments version of events in the Piedras shooting and alleged capture of the Zeta plaza boss in PN.

As shown in the photo at the top of this page, the Gates agents appear to be wearing civilian type clothes and some wearing baseball type caps.   Some people in comments on the web are questioning whether the driver of the Jetta seeing the truck full of armed men wearing masks and dressed in civilian clothes panicked and sped up to elude them and the Gates agents shot the driver to stop him.

 Zocalo, a news daily published out of Saltillo, capitol of Coahuila, is reporting that a Gates agent planted a weapon on the driver of the Jetta as he lay wounded in the street.  

Zocalo reported that one of the  security cameras which are scattered throughout the city captured the agent  "wearing a Armani shirt under his armor, a baseball type cap,  carrying a pistol held in a paper sack to avoid leaving finger prints, allegedly placed the pistol in the hand of the wounded driver.  Allegedly after he got the wounded mans prints on the pistol he removed the weapon and placed it in the paper sack (presumably saving it for evidence.)

Gates has been accused in the past of planting weapons and drugs on suspects.  They also have one of the worst reputations  in law enforcement for abusing suspects and violating human rights.

 Violence and kidnappings carried out has also become evident through executions reported in recent days.

Thursday was found in the Nava-Piedras Negras highway lifeless body of a young man who apparently had been beaten..

Tuesday was located a man executed with a shot to the forehead, next to the Nava-Morelos bridge on Highway 57, and brought a narcomensaje.

That same day at night, two taxi drivers were 'lifted' in Piedras Negras by gunmen who allegedly tortured them to find out where drugs were distributed.