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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Mexican Marines Seize a ton of Cocaine in Coahuila, Arrest 6 |
| 2011-05-31 |
| For a map, click here For a map of Coahuila, click here By Chris Covert A Mexican marine operation was concluded last week in northern Coahuila where marines seized more than one ton of cocaine according to a news release by the Mexican Secretaria de Marina (SEMAR). The seizure took place May 24 near the town of Monclova where Mexican Marine and army units raided a number of locations including ranches and farms searching for drug and weapons. The cocaine was found on a ranch abut 40 kilometers from Sabinas Hidalgo in 1.057 packages. Arrested in the raid were Lorenzo Villegas Palacios, 58, Pedro Fernandez Ramirez, 32, Carlos Lopez Izaguirre, 25, Ruben Fernandez Ramirez, 32, Bernardino Gonzalez Treviño, 38, and Jonathan Agüero Fernandez, 27. Weapons seized included five rifles, 20 weapons magazines, 330 rounds of ammunition, one 40mm grenade launcher, and an armored vehicle. Reports suggest the cocaine belonged to the Los Zetas criminal gang. On a farm used as a safe house near Monclova, soldiers seized a cache of information on Los Zetas, including documents and personal effects. Also seized were a number of race horses. Also at a house near Monclova, Marines found another safe house used by the same gang and seized an undisclosed quantity of ammunition and communications gear, as well as vehicles. Marines also found a shop the gang used to armor their combat vehicles. Friday Mexican marines set up two checkpoints on the Saltillo-Monclova highway, one north of Monclova near the Sofy-Mar resort and one near Castaños south of Monclova, looking for contraband including drugs and weapons. A total of 120 marine effectives were used in the search operations. Marine seized two armored trucks. In other news, the Saltillo Vangardia newspaper in Saltillo, Coahuila was attacked late Sunday night by armed suspects who used a 40mm grenade launcher. The newspaper offices near the intersection of avenidas Venustiano Carranza and Chiapas were damaged by the blast, but damage was limited to broken glass. Saltillo was recently the focus of fighting between armed criminal groups and Mexican security forces last March which killed five suspects and one soldier. To see Rantburg reports on the fighting in Saltillo last March click here and here |
| Posted by:badanov |
