Nearly 200 prisoners flee from northern Mexico jail near U.S. border

[News_Editor]

Nearly 200 prisoners flee from northern Mexico jail near U.S. border

2010-12-18 05:11:57 GMT+7 (ICT)

TAMAULIPAS, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) -- At least 191 prisoners escaped from a prison facility in Nuevo Laredo in northern Mexico on Friday, not far from the Mexico-U.S. border, authorities said.

State police, federal forces, and local police have launched a massive search in the nearby area for the escaped criminals, some of whom are believed to be extremely dangerous.

Authorities said the breakout was first reported at around 10 a.m. local time on Friday, but could have taken place hours earlier. The criminals were not immediately identified, and it was not known if some of them belonged to drug cartels.

The situation inside the detention facility is reported as critical and it was not immediately revealed where the security guards were when the outbreak took place.

Officials initially said 148 criminals had escaped but later raised that number to at least 191. This number may still change, however, as the situation inside the jail has not fully returned to normal which makes it difficult for officials to assess the situation.

The city of Nuevo Laredo shares its border with Laredo in Texas, which could mean some of the prisoners may try to cross the border. As a result, large numbers of officers have been stationed across the border to capture anyone who tries to cross into the United States.

The mass breakout is considered to be one of the biggest in decades. In September, 85 prisoners fled from a Reynosa prison, also in Tamaulipas state, which is dominated by the Gulf Cartel.

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