2011 Tamaulipas massacre
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Tamaulipas massacre was the mass murder
of at least 193 people discovered in mass graves on April 6, 2011. These people were kidnapped from passenger buses. Although not confirmed, some newspapers mention that the body count surpassed 500, but that the state government of Tamaulipas
supposedly censored and prevented such publications. This is the second mass murder of its kind in the state of Tamaulipas
since the massacre of the 72 illegal immigrants by the Mexican Los Zetas
gang on August 24, 2010.
whose husband failed to arrive from San Luis Potosí
. There were reports of at least two other buses stopped since then.
Canseco said it appeared to be a new kind of crime, one in which criminals “stop the bus, select passengers, take them hostage.”
They may have been trying to forcibly recruit passengers as foot soldiers, or they may have intended to hold them for ransom, he said. It may also be that the missing men were heading to the United States and that the gangs took them off the bus to extort payment to get them across the border. Other reports, including the interviews of the captured members, indicate that Los Zetas
killed the passengers because they believed the passengers were going to be recruited by the Gulf Cartel
, their rival drug cartel, and they wanted to prevent that.
Security forces rescued five people being held by a gang, all whom had been kidnapped from a bus, Canseco said. They helped lead the security forces to the mass graves. The mass graves are in La Joya, a rural community outside the city of San Fernando
, near where 72 migrants from Central
and South America
were killed last August.
Eight mass graves were found on April 6 with 59 bodies, and two more on April 8 with 13 more bodies, according to the Tamaulipas Interior Ministry.
The bodies have not yet been identified, and so it has not been confirmed that they were those of other kidnapped bus passengers. Soldiers have arrested 14 people in connection with the mass graves, said Alejandro Poiré, the security spokesman for the Federal Government. There are indications that they could be linked to the Zetas.
On April 10, the Secretariat of National Defense announced the arrest of a person involved in the massacre
which provided information for the location of four mass graves, where 16 bodies were found and continued to research and review of those graves.
On April 12, at least 28 more bodies were found. By April 13, 6 more bodies were found.
On April 14, authorities pulled 23 more corpses from a mass grave. Also, sixteen police officers from San Fernando were arrested for allegedly serving as accomplices to members of the drug cartel suspected in the slayings.
On April 21, authorities said the number of bodies rose to to 177, from an earlier estimate of 145.
Mass murder
Mass murder is the act of murdering a large number of people , typically at the same time or over a relatively short period of time. According to the FBI, mass murder is defined as four or more murders occurring during a particular event with no cooling-off period between the murders...
of at least 193 people discovered in mass graves on April 6, 2011. These people were kidnapped from passenger buses. Although not confirmed, some newspapers mention that the body count surpassed 500, but that the state government of Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
supposedly censored and prevented such publications. This is the second mass murder of its kind in the state of Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
since the massacre of the 72 illegal immigrants by the Mexican Los Zetas
Los Zetas
Los Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
gang on August 24, 2010.
Massacre
Morelos Canseco Gomez, an official in the Tamaulipas State Interior Ministry, said in a radio interview details of these abductions began to emerge in late March, from a bus company and from passengers who had witnessed people being taken off a bus. The first report came on March 25 from a woman in the border city of MatamorosMatamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
whose husband failed to arrive from San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí, commonly called SLP or simply San Luis, is the capital of, and most populous city in the Mexican state of the same name. The city lies at an elevation of 1,850 meters...
. There were reports of at least two other buses stopped since then.
Canseco said it appeared to be a new kind of crime, one in which criminals “stop the bus, select passengers, take them hostage.”
They may have been trying to forcibly recruit passengers as foot soldiers, or they may have intended to hold them for ransom, he said. It may also be that the missing men were heading to the United States and that the gangs took them off the bus to extort payment to get them across the border. Other reports, including the interviews of the captured members, indicate that Los Zetas
Los Zetas
Los Zetas is the second most powerful drug cartel in Mexico and considered by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as the most violent drug cartel and paramilitary enforcement group in Mexico...
killed the passengers because they believed the passengers were going to be recruited by the Gulf Cartel
Gulf Cartel
The Gulf Cartel is one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, and perhaps the oldest organized crime group in the country...
, their rival drug cartel, and they wanted to prevent that.
Security forces rescued five people being held by a gang, all whom had been kidnapped from a bus, Canseco said. They helped lead the security forces to the mass graves. The mass graves are in La Joya, a rural community outside the city of San Fernando
San Fernando, Tamaulipas
San Fernando is a municipality and city located in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas.-Massacres:San Fernando, Tamaulipas is notorious for experiencing two of the largest recorded massacres of the Mexican Drug War...
, near where 72 migrants from Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
were killed last August.
Eight mass graves were found on April 6 with 59 bodies, and two more on April 8 with 13 more bodies, according to the Tamaulipas Interior Ministry.
The bodies have not yet been identified, and so it has not been confirmed that they were those of other kidnapped bus passengers. Soldiers have arrested 14 people in connection with the mass graves, said Alejandro Poiré, the security spokesman for the Federal Government. There are indications that they could be linked to the Zetas.
On April 10, the Secretariat of National Defense announced the arrest of a person involved in the massacre
Massacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
which provided information for the location of four mass graves, where 16 bodies were found and continued to research and review of those graves.
On April 12, at least 28 more bodies were found. By April 13, 6 more bodies were found.
On April 14, authorities pulled 23 more corpses from a mass grave. Also, sixteen police officers from San Fernando were arrested for allegedly serving as accomplices to members of the drug cartel suspected in the slayings.
On April 21, authorities said the number of bodies rose to to 177, from an earlier estimate of 145.
See also
- List of massacres in Mexico
- 2010 Tamaulipas massacre
- 2011 Durango Massacres2011 Durango massacresThe 2011 Durango massacres were a series of mass murders that occurred in 2011. At least 249 bodies have been found in mass graves around the city of Durango. These mass graves are the first of their kind in the state of Durango and third of their kind in Mexico...