Four Bodies Found in Nuevo Laredo

The bodies of four men, handcuffed and tortured, appeared on Sunday morning in front of the plaza in Nuevo Laredo, where the perpetrators of the crime also left a warning for the public, a police source said.

Very early in the day, the office of public safety, received a "report of four bodies that were left on la plaza," said an official of the state agency.

The bodies were left along with a dead dog and cat in front of the "plaza de toros" bullring in Nuevo Laredo, which has a population of about 400,000 people and it's the largest commercial frontier between Mexico and the United States.

"I was the one who threw the grenade into the sports complex, I was paid $500 (dollars)," read the message written on a cardboard on one of the victims, while the other three men killed where identified as the father, brother and brother-in-law of the former.

"The Nuevo Laredo people know who helps them, this is what is going to happen to all and their family," said the written message about the victims who had not yet been identified.

Exact message in Spanish:

"Yo fui el que avente la granada en la unidad deportiva, me pagaron 500 dólares a mí y 500 a mi amigo Rubén como lo mataron a él dieron otro destino que no fue este (esto me pasa por pendejo) aquí está mi cuñado mi apa mi perro mi gato y Rubén mi amigo y mi cuñado mi mama mi hermana la hija de mi mama van al tambo porque los señores no quieren dejar tanto mugrero en la ciudad".

Another sign added:

"Esto es para toda la raza del pueblo no se crean de la gente que los quiere usar Nuevo Laredo no es de la gente de Nuevo Laredo si no pueden controlar sus terrenos menos aquí lo que están haciendo son actos de desesperación así que ya saben los neolaredenses el que les ayude esto es lo que les va a pasar con todo y familia tarde o temprano todo se sabe y nos vamos a dar cuenta como este pendejo".

On Wednesday Nuevo Laredo lived a day of fear from shootouts between gunmen and roadblocks that even left people trapped in cinemas and shops that were suddenly closed. Mexican soldiers fought late-night gunbattles with gangs who forced citizens from their cars and used the vehicles to block streets in a city across the border from Texas.

The Nuevo Laredo city government posted messages on Facebook warning citizens to stay indoors as the battles erupted at several intersections Wednesday night. Gangs used stolen cars and buses to block several main avenues in the city across from Laredo, Texas. Several residents called local newspapers to report thefts. "For your security, stay in your homes until the alert has passed," the city government wrote on Facebook

Authorities did not report any number of casualties, although it is believed that several people were killed and even more injured.

There had been reports circulating on the internet that two ranches outside of Laredo Texas were being taken over by the los Zetas:

“We have been advised to say nothing. The Webb County Sheriff is taking the lead on this and they’re advising that they can’t confirm anything either,” said the Laredo Police Department Spokesperson

"Two South Texas ranches near Laredo were seized by members of the Mexican drug cartel, Los Zetas, with American authorities engaged in an operation or “standoff” with the Mexican drug cartel." 

This information or similar version had been circulating around some of the blogs on the internet and the unconfirmed portion of this version had also been reported by some of the media outles on the US side.
 
We have not been able to confirm any of this information.

Tamaulipas state where Nuevo Laredo is located (on the other side of Laredo, Texas), is living bitter struggle between the Gulf cartel and its former allies Los Zetas, who are fighting for months with blood on the streets and gunfire too close to the border. Gangs have frequently blocked streets in the middle of the cities to thwart soldiers coming to the aid of colleagues under fire.

About 25,000 people were killed in Mexico since December 2006 due disputes of organized crime, which the government has responded with about 50,000 soldiers during the same period.

Evidence of the road blocks in Nuevo Laredo on July 16, 2010.