Mexican military kills drug cartel kingpin...bout' damn time

[RRACY]

CUERNAVACA, Mexico ? Two hundred Mexican Navy marines stormed an upscale apartment complex and killed a reputed drug cartel chief in a two-hour gunbattle, one of the biggest victories yet in President Felipe Calderon's drug war.

Arturo Beltran Leyva, the "boss of bosses," and six members of his cartel died in the shootout Wednesday in Cuernavaca, just south of Mexico City, according to a navy statement Thursday.

The body of one cartel member was found on the ground outside the third-floor apartment, after he apparently committed suicide during the shootout.

Cartel gunmen hurled grenades that killed one marine and wounded two others, one of whom is in serious condition, the navy said. Two women and one man were detained during the raid, and five assault weapons were seized.

An Associated Press reporter at the scene heard at least 10 explosions during the firefight, which residents said lasted at least 90 minutes. Witnesses said the raid began when marines rappelled down ropes onto the roofs of some of the apartment buildings at dusk.

Reporters were briefly allowed inside the apartment where Beltran Leyva's body still lay early Thursday; his skull and one arm were mangled by bullet wounds, and in one hand he clutched a large gold-colored medallion.

"First they were asked to surrender, but they didn't yield and they opened fire," said one of the ski-masked marines who participated in the raid, and who was not authorized to give his name.

President Felipe Calderon, speaking from the Copenhagen climate summit, said "this action represents an important achievement for the government and people of Mexico, and a resounding blow against one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in Mexico, and on the continent."
Calderon described Beltran Leyva as "one of the three most-wanted" drug suspects in Mexico. By most estimates, the other two ? both still at large ? are Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.

Residents of the apartment complex said the raid appeared carefully planned. Sailors went door-to-door before the gun battle to quietly evacuate residents to the gym.

Beltran Leyva is the highest-ranking figure taken down under Calderon, who has deployed more than 45,000 troops across Mexico to crush the cartels since taking office in December 2006. Mexico's navy often has been used in the battle as well. The offensive has earned Calderon praise from Washington even as 14,000 people have been killed in a wave of drug-related violence.

Beltran Leyva had narrowly escaped attempts to arrest him in recent months, including a Friday raid on an alleged drug cartel holiday party at mansion in the town of Tepotzlan, near Cuernavaca, where they killed three alleged Beltran Leyva cartel members and detained 11.

They also detained Ramon Ayala, a Texas-based norteno singer whose band was playing at the party, on suspicion of ties to organized crime. His lawyer, Adolfo Vega, denied Ayala had ties to the Beltran Leyva gang, saying the singer didn't know his clients were drug traffickers.

The last time Mexican authorities killed a major drug lord was in 2002, when Ramon Arellano Felix of the Tijuana Cartel was shot by a police officer in the Sinaloa resort of Mazatlan.

Beltran Leyva was one of five brothers from the Pacific coast state of Sinaloa who once worked side by side with Guzman, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. The brothers split with Guzman several years ago and aligned themselves with Los Zetas, a group of former soldiers hired by the rival Gulf Cartel as hit men. The split is believed to have fueled much of Mexico's bloodshed of recent years.

One of the brothers, Alfredo Beltran Leyva, was arrested in January 2008.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says the Beltran Leyva cartel has smuggled tons of cocaine into the United States, as well as large quantities of heroin.

The Mexican government had offered a $2.1 million reward for Beltran Leyva's capture.

U.S. officials say the Beltran Leyva Cartel has carried out heinous killings, including numerous beheadings of rival traffickers or kidnappers invading what the gang considered its turf.

The gang also has had great success in buying off public officials, including employees of the federal police and prosecutors, to protect their business and get tips on planned military raids.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091217/...rug_war_mexico

[L-Pink]

Thanks for the heads-up, building inventory now in case of shortage or spike in prices.


.

[bobby666]

thanks 4 info

[baddog]

Probably not going to be a good time to visit.

[RRACY]

It sounds like the scene in Scarface.The last time this country killed a leader was in 02.

[cyber]

When druglords' guys are better armed, better zoned, and much better paid that anything the government has to throw at them, then yes, it is damned tough to kill any of them.

If you don't believe me, look up Los Zeta.

[TyroneGoldberg]

you say 'bout damn time' like now that this person is dead your life is better now.

[sobaka]

I like to read about Mexican drug business, and this guy was really big time. He was making tens, if not hundreds of million $USD cash every year, after all payouts and expenses. So you wake up every day, and you have another $100K or more next to you. And you can't really go anywhere and spend the money. I always wonder why more guys don't quit and re-start a new life where no-one knows them once they accumulate $5-10 million cash. Or maybe they do and you just don't hear about it.

[bronco67]

Mexico has Marines??WTF?

[TyroneGoldberg]

Originally Posted by sobaka

I like to read about Mexican drug business, and this guy was really big time. He was making tens, if not hundreds of million $USD cash every year, after all payouts and expenses. So you wake up every day, and you have another $100K or more next to you. And you can't really go anywhere and spend the money. I always wonder why more guys don't quit and re-start a new life where no-one knows them once they accumulate $5-10 million cash. Or maybe they do and you just don't hear about it.

when you're in that life, it's hard to get out, even if you wanted to. you have too much dirt on too many people. there's only one way out.

Originally Posted by bronco67

Mexico has Marines??WTF?

Marine (ocean), a general term relating to the sea, ocean or the science Oceanography

A term for a navy, uncommon in English

[RRACY]

Originally Posted by TyroneGoldberg

you say 'bout damn time' like now that this person is dead your life is better now.

I was meaning it's hard to kill guys like this. They had a huge war against that one leader in the early 90's where hundreds were killed.

[Matt 26z]

It's all for show. I don't think Mexico is going to do anything that they know will damage their drug export industry. The drugs and illegal US immigration is what keeps Mexico from falling to 3rd world status.

[trevesty]

Nothing will change. Someone will replace him soon and everything will be normal in 3-6 months.

Make the drugs legal and put 'em out of business if you want to do something damaging to them. Let big corporations like Wal-Mart, Target, etc., etc., be their competitors and slash prices in half. If that's not an option, them disappearing won't happen.

[TyroneGoldberg]

Originally Posted by RRACY

I was meaning it's hard to kill guys like this. They had a huge war against that one leader in the early 90's where hundreds were killed.

no they're very easy to kill. they only get killed when their 'time' is up, when someone decides it's time for a new 'villian' to be in charge.

all smoke and mirrors.

[datatank]

Originally Posted by baddog

Probably not going to be a good time to visit.

Why is that?

Originally Posted by bronco67

Mexico has Marines??WTF?

Marinas yes

[dyna mo]

mexican drugs are bad mmkay. lousy, in fact.

[JarvisEncoding]

Thanks for info!

[brassmonkey]

here tempe,az they did a big ass bust over 100 arrested and several million in drugs and a bunch of guns wonder if its connected

[HouseHead]

Some peoples drugs are going to dry up! sucks for them..

I'm sure this guy's brother will take his place in no time

[Spunky]

Glad my reefer is local

[bronco67]

Originally Posted by datatank

Marinas yes

Do they rattle maracas and throw hot guacamole during maneuvers?

[beemk]

im sure theres guys waiting to take their places.