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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | May 2007 
Severed Head Found Outside Army Base in Veracruz
 Associated Press
| | President Felipe Calderón has sent more than 24,000 soldiers and federal police to areas ravaged by violence, much of which is attributed to powerful drug cartels fighting for lucrative smuggling routes into the U.S. |
Veracruz, Mexico – A severed head accompanied by a note of defiance from organized crime gangs and two hand grenades was found outside a military barracks in Veracruz state on Saturday.
The head was found in a box outside the army base in Veracruz city, shortly after the government announced it was sending troops to respond to a shooting attack. The box also held a message saying gangs would continue operating despite the presence of troops.
“We are going to continue, even if federal forces are here,” state Public Safety Secretary Juan Manuel Orozco quoted the note as saying.
The body of the victim – a 37-year-old auto mechanic who had been kidnapped four days earlier – was found on a street in another neighborhood, wrapped in a sheet.
“Clearly this is a provocation,” Veracruz Gov. Fidel Herrera said of the message, noting similar notes have been found in other states.
The head appeared after the government announced it was sending troops to Veracruz to respond to an attack that killed four bodyguards assigned to protect the children of a state governor who were vacationing in Veracruz. The children of Mexico State Gov. Enrique Pena were unharmed in Friday's attack.
Victoria Hernandez, spokeswoman for the Veracruz state prosecutor's office, said it appears the gunmen mistook the bodyguards' vehicle for that of a rival gang. Pena also blamed the attack on mistaken identity.
President Felipe Calderón has sent more than 24,000 soldiers and federal police to areas ravaged by violence, much of which is attributed to powerful drug cartels fighting for lucrative smuggling routes into the U.S. |
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