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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | February 2008 
Mexican Official Says Drug Cartel Not Responsible for Blast
 Laurence Iliff - The Dallas Morning News
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| | Mexican policemen guard the area where an explosive device went off in one of the main avenues of Mexico City. At least one person died and two others were injured after a bomb exploded in Mexico City's central tourist area Friday, the city's Public Security Chief Joel Ortega said. (AFP/Omar Torres) | | |
Mexico City – A top military official Saturday ruled out the use of soldiers to reinforce security in the Mexican capital, a day after a suspected bomber blew himself up in an apparently bungled attack on police headquarters.
Navy Minister Francisco Saynez also discounted speculation that drug gangs orchestrated the attack in response to a series of raids against them in Mexico City, which had been relatively immune from cartel violence.
"They don't attack strategic installations," Mr. Saynez told reporters after a Navy ceremony. "They use other methods."
The Mexico City newspaper El Universal, quoting anonymous federal and local officials, said in Saturday's editions that Friday's bomber intended to plant the homemade device in the 12-story police headquarters but accidentally detonated it 200 yards away.
The lunchtime explosion blew out windows in apartment buildings, damaged several cars and caused panic in the touristy Zona Rosa area of the city.
El Universal identified the Sinaloa cartel, led by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán and the Beltrán Leyva brothers, as the "intellectual authors" of the botched attack.
But Arturo Yañez, who trains Mexico City detectives and has worked in federal law enforcement, said the bombing attempt looked too amateurish for sophisticated drug cartels, which have carried out surgical strikes against top law enforcement officials.
A more likely suspect is the Popular Revolutionary Army, or EPR, Mr. Yañez added.
The EPR declared a campaign against government installations last year, demanding that two of its leaders be released from federal detention. Federal authorities say they are not holding the two men.
Mexico City Police Chief Joel Ortega, during a television interview late Friday, said the man killed in the blast was wearing a dress suit over a sweat suit. He said the bomber probably planned to plant the device and then take off the dress suit to fool people monitoring security cameras.
A 22-year-old woman seriously injured in the blast could hold the key to the investigation, Chief Ortega added.
Mexican media said the woman lived in a neighborhood awash in illegal drugs and near a Sinaloa cartel operative arrested last week by Mexico City officials. |
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