Prison fight in northern Mexico leaves 20 inmates killed

Prison fight in northern Mexico leaves 20 inmates killed

2011-10-17 19:44:50 GMT+7 (ICT)

TAMAULIPAS, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) -- At least 20 inmates were killed and several others were injured during a fight at a prison in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas near the U.S. border, authorities said on Sunday.

The violence erupted on Saturday morning at a prison in the city of Matamoros after two inmates began fighting and others joined in. The Tamaulipas state public security department said 20 people died and 12 others were injured before law enforcement officials could restore order.

The bodies of the victims were transferred to the medical examiner's office where autopsies will be conducted, officials said. The State's Attorney General Office will conduct an investigation to determine responsibility and punishment according to law, a government statement said.

Prison outbreaks and prison riots occur frequently in Mexico. In late July, seventeen people were killed when a group of prisoners in Ciudad Juárez broke into another area of the prison and assaulted 13 of their rival inmates.

Mexico has been struggling to cope with an influx of criminals as President Felipe Calderón continues with his campaign against organized crime and drug cartels. According to government figures, a total of 15,273 drug-related crimes occurred in Mexico in 2010, while more than 42,000 people have died in drug-related violence since the campaign began in December 2006.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-10-17