U.S. confirms the killings of three Americans in Mexico drug-plagued city

2010-11-02 08:42:19 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- The U.S. State Department on Monday confirmed that three Americans were killed in the Mexican drug-plagued city of Ciudad Juarez, spokesperson Philip J. Crowley said.

According to Crowley, two U.S. citizens were killed early Sunday and in a separate incident, another U.S. citizen was fatally wounded.

"We offer our condolences to the families of the victims. We have been in touch with those families and are providing all possible assistance, and we will support the Mexican Government in the investigation that is already underway," said Crowley.

Crowley said that the U.S. State Department can't really assess what happened. "In some of those cases these might have been deliberate actions. In other cases they might have been people in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Local police officials identified two of the the killed as 26-year-old Giovanna Herrera, and 15-year-old Luis Carlos Araiza Hidalgo. Their vehicle was attacked by alleged drug cartel members 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the Zaragoza International bridge that connects Ciudad Juarez with El Paso, Texas.

Some 25,000 people have died in drug-related violence after a military campaign against drug cartels was launched by President Felipe Calderon at the end of 2006.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-11-02

Too many people have been killed in this "drug war." Maybe it's time to think about a different solution to the problem?