Comandos attack Monterrey, 10 Dead, 2 Wounded

Five people, including two innocent bystanders, were killed and two injured when an armed comando, (groups of well trained, heavily armed gunmen used in hit and run attacks'), opened fire on a group of youths in front of a corner store in the Moderna area of Monterrey.


The incident took place around 5:00 pm Monday at the intersection of Olivo and Mirto.

The sidewalk just outside the store, said neighbors, was a known hang out for a group of youths who presumingly sold drugs in the area.



According to preliminary reports, the innocent victims were a housewife who went into cardiac arrest during the attack and a man who, just moments earlier, had stepped off a bus directly into the attackers gunfire.

The woman was identified by family members as 43 year old Araceli Martínez Rodríguez. The man has yet to be identified.

Witnesses state the assassins arrived in two trucks, one being a white Cadillac Escalade, and opened fire on the youths without warning, killing three of the youths and injuring three others.

Paramedics from the Red and Green Cross arrived to treat the wounded and the area and surrounding blocks were blocked off by marines and soldiers.

Unofficial reports have identified the deceased as Raúl Salazar Caballero, Jesús Gustavo Torres Elías, both 18 years old, and Luis Alberto Rojas Rocha, aged 19 who died of gunshot wounds to the head and thorax after unsuccessful efforts to save his life in the University Hospital.

The wounded have been identified as Armado de Jesús Castillo Meléndez, 20, and Maricarmen Sebastián Caballero, 19. One of the deceased youths, who has yet to be identified, is reported to be younger than 15 years of age.

Minutes before the attack a mobilization of state and federal forces at the Topo Chico Penitentiary was launched after unidentified persons launched two grenades over the exterior wall which exploded in the sports field/recreational area of the prison. No damages or injuries were reported.




An earlier attack related to organized crime occurred around 9:15 am when gunmen armed with AR-15 attacked and killed three brother's while they worked in their taco stand in Southern Monterrey.

The three brothers were identified as Benito "Ël Beno", Juan "El Pirri", and Heriberto "El Guacha" Cardoza Vazquez. Benito and Juan, it is said, had run El Beno's tacos for over 10 years, Heriberto was in charge of the liquor store next door, El Castillo.



In a separate event, the body of an unidentified man was discovered around 7:00 a.m. in the rural area of El Carmen, Nuevo Leon, 35 kilometers north of Monterrey.

The victim, who was reported to be between the ages of 30 and 35, was dressed in blue jeans, a denim shirt, and one cowboy boot. Authority state the victims hands were cuffed behind it's back and showed visible signs of torture including bruising and trauma to the head, face, and buttocks.

Sources: Grupo Reforma, Milenio, Telediario, Twitter, NarcotraficoenMexico.blogspot