EFEAbout 40 gunmen attacked the mayor of Garcia, a city in the northern Mexican state of Nuevo Leon, killing a bodyguard, wounding four others but failing to kill the municipal official.
Mayor Jaime Rodriguez survived the attack, which was the second attempt to kill him in just over a month.
Rodriguez described the attack in an interview with a television station in Nuevo Leon, a crime-ridden state located on the border with the United States.
Gunmen traveling in 15-20 vehicles opened fire on the SUV that was carrying eight bodyguards, Rodriguez said.
The gunmen were apparently trying to neutralize the bodyguards so they could kill the mayor, who was in an armored SUV.
The mayor's vehicle was hit by gunfire, but none of the rounds penetrated the level 5 armor.
The attack occurred Tuesday night on Abraham Lincoln avenue in Garcia, a city in the Monterrey metropolitan area.
The mayor's bodyguards killed three gunmen who tried to kill him on Feb. 25.
Rodriguez, a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, said the attack may have been ordered by Los Zetas, a drug cartel that operates in northeastern Mexico.
Nuevo Leon and neighboring Tamaulipas state have been rocked by a wave of violence unleashed by drug traffickers battling for control of smuggling routes into the United States.
The violence has intensified in the two border states since the appearance in Monterrey, the capital of Nuevo Leon, in February 2010 of giant banners heralding an alliance of the Gulf, Sinaloa and La Familia drug cartels against Los Zetas.
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"I can fall, but not the city" said Mayor Rodriguez in an interview after the attack. "I'm scared and pissed off, I do not know why, but God gave me yet another chance."
"I'm enraged...we cannot allow our cities to be lost. We have to attack this head on, we need a better strategy. We have been working to combat the insecurity and drug trafficking and it's pissed them off (sicarios), the reorganized and hit us again."
"What I can tell you is that in the morning our police arrested several people who had been selling drugs in our schools, I know that's why we were attacked, because we are blocking the poisoning of our society, it is something that we will continue to do, we will not to surrender our city and allow them to continue poisoning our youth, we will remain here and continue our work as long as God permits"
Mayor Rodriguez resumed his official duties this afternoon. Heavily guarded, he attended a meeting to support a Quality Education program in area schools. During the visit Rodriguez stressed the importance and need for teachers to provide quality education in efforts to prevent children from becoming criminals in the future.
"The problem is that we are producing criminals, we do not give them (children) opportunities, and they are becoming easy prey for those who are poisoning society," said the Mayor.
Although family and friends of the mayor are pleading with him to resign, Rodriguez firmly disagrees: "They want me to resign, they say it's not worth it, my life is more important than what I'm doing, and I answered them, what I am doing is much more important than my life."
The Mexican Army will now have an increased role in the security of Garcia, Nuevo leon.
Video from first attack, February 25, 2011
Photos: Grupo Reforma
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Why do they want to kill the Mayor? Fifteen vehicles full of gunmen, Where are any cops?? Were the killers Cops. Which gang is this Mayor alligned with?Which did he piss off? Can the Mayor guess then call in the marines and kill the gang guys??Who will ever Know after all its Mexico.
ReplyDeleteCDG trying to kill a Zeta complicit mayjor? 40 gunmen speaks of overkill or desperation, and dedication.
ReplyDelete40 gunmen to kill 1 and they fail? Wow, that is embarrassing...
ReplyDeletehow do 40 mf'ers roll down the street undectected?
ReplyDelete@March 30, 2011 8:23 PM,
ReplyDeleteNot trying to be rude with you but did you even read the article? The mayor himself, believes the Zetas are responsible for the attack. The reason behind the attack...Mayor Rodriguez believes it is because he is combating the drug problem, which has poisoned the town. It looks like he's now getting protection from the military, so I doubt he's aligned with any of the drug cartels. If that was the case, I think the drug cartel he was supporting would offer him protection?
"What I am doing is more important than my life."
ReplyDeleteYou know he believes it or he'd step down. He believes in restoring sanity, self-reliance and opportunity for the youth of Mexico to prosper in the future. And is willing to fight for it. Good for him.