Mass prison fight in northeastern Mexico leaves 31 killed

[News_Editor]

Mass prison fight in northeastern Mexico leaves 31 killed

2012-01-06 05:42:44 GMT+7 (ICT)

ALTAMIRA, MEXICO (BNO NEWS) -- Thirty-one inmates were killed on late Wednesday afternoon when a large fight broke out at a prison in the northeastern region of Mexico, state officials confirmed on Thursday.

The prison fight between two groups of inmates broke out at around 5 p.m. local time at a penitentiary in the municipality of Altamira, which is located at the southern tip of the state of Tamaulipas and on the Gulf of Mexico.

The local Public Security Department and the state's Attorney General's office said 31 people were killed after inmates from module 11 and module 12 of Altamira's Sanctions Center clashed violently. Local authorities said the inmates used self-made weapons during the fight.

Personnel from the Public Security Department's Special Forces, the Mexican Army, as well as state and federal security forces were deployed to restore order. After bringing the facility under control, 13 inmates were identified as being responsible for starting the mass prison fight.

Other details were not immediately released.

Prison outbreaks and prison riots occur frequently in Mexico. In mid-October, a total of 20 inmates were killed when two inmates began fighting at a prison in the city of Matamoros, located in the state of Tamaulipas near the U.S. border. Other inmates joined the fight.

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 estimates, at least 12,359 people died as a result of drug-related violence in 2011 alone.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-01-06