Gunmen posing as soldiers free 22 from Mexico jail
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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (Reuters) -- Gunmen dressed in military fatigues burst into a jail in western Mexico on Monday and freed 22 inmates, some of whom are believed to be linked to one of Mexico's most violent drug cartels, police said.
One person was killed in the breakout at Apatzingan prison, about 200 miles (330 km) northwest of Mexico City, officials from the state Attorney General's Office said.
"At 3:20 this morning a commando of 40 or 50 people arrived, heavily armed and dressed as soldiers ... tied up the guards saying they were doing a check of the prison and they released approximately 22 prisoners," said Lorena Cortes, a spokeswoman for the state Attorney General.
"One convict, called Fernando Coria, died while he was trying to escape. Apparently one of the guards shot him from a distance." she added.
The jailbreak may have been organized by the powerful Gulf drug cartel, based in the northern border state of Tamaulipas and headed by Osiel Cardenas who was arrested last March, a Michoacan state official told Reuters.
"We are not ruling out the possibility the armed commando was sent by the Gulf cartel. That's one of the lines of investigation," said the official on condition of anonymity.
Police recaptured four escaped inmates. Among the remaining fugitives are four suspected gunmen from the Gulf cartel arrested last November on murder and kidnapping charges.
President Vicente Fox has scored some big victories in his government's war on drugs with the capture during his administration of prominent members of several cartels.
Mexico is a major grower of marijuana and opium poppies and is one of the main routes for Colombian cocaine headed for the United States.
Copyright 2004
Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
