12 taxi drivers, passengers killed in Acapulco ahead of tennis tournament; 53 massacred in Juarez
Monday, February 21st 2011, 9:15 AM
Gunman targeting taxis in the Mexican resort city of Acapulco killed nine cabbies and three passengers over the weekend, igniting fears just hours before a popular professional tennis tournament was set to begin.
Police in the Guerrero, the western state on Mexico's Pacific coast where Acapulco is located, said four thugs were arrested in connection with the attacks, which were among the deadliest to target a specific group in the region in recent memory.
The suspects were caught carrying guns, grenades and a machete, which may have been used to cut off the heads of some of the victims.
At least one of the drivers, founded dead inside his vehicle on Saturday, had been beheaded.
Cabbies in Acapulco often get caught up in the city's violent drug trade, as gang members shake them down for money or recruit them to transport guns or drugs.
The attacks began Friday, when five drivers were found dead. Four more drivers, as well as three passengers, were shot and killed on Saturday.
Acapulco, once a mostly peaceful Pacific resort, is facing high levels of drug-related violence as cartels have been fighting for control of the city's port, a key gateway for cocaine smuggling from South America.
Most of this weekend's violence took place outside the city's tourist regions, but on Sunday, a man's butchered body was found outside an apartment building near the city's tourist zone.
Dozens of cars were also set on fire over the weekend.
The attacks terrified organizers of the Mexican Open, the largest tennis tournament in Latin America, which was scheduled to start Monday.
The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the event's organizer, warned players and fans about the security concerns and said it was working with Mexican officials to make sure the tournament would be safe.
"Following an independent security assessment and discussions with tournament organizers, we are satisfied that responsible measures are being taken," the ATP said in a statement.
Players were warned to stick close to their hotels and avoid going out into the city, and were urged to leave Mexico as soon as they were eliminated.
At least one player, Argentina's David Nalbandian, withdrew from the tournament because of the violence.
"It's a great and enjoyable tournament to play," said Nalbandian, who was also nursing a groin injury. “But for right now it's a little more difficult because of the security situation. We are a bit scared about this and we're trying to decide what to do."
Others thought the warnings were being blown out of proportion.
"I think things are being greatly exaggerated," Spain's David Ferrer told the Associated Press. "We tennis players have all the guarantees [for our safety.]"
Meanwhile, in Ciudad Juarez, in northern Mexico, 53 people were killed in a 72-hour span, making it one of the deadliest weekends in recent memory.
Four police officers were among those killed.
Juarez is one of Mexico's deadliest cities and a battleground between violent drug cartels battling for territory and supply routes.
Earlier this month, two American Catholic school teenagers and were shot dead at a car dealership in Juarez after crossing the border from El Paso, Texas. A Mexican teen was killed as well.
Source; http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2 ... tml?r=news
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