The arrest of a top aide to a politically connected fuel-theft mogul who was killed last year sparked a new wave of controversy in northern Mexico as the region prepares for this summer’s gubernatorial elections.
Mexican authorities arrested the top leader of a hyperviolent fuel-theft cartel that been waging a fierce turf war for control of key areas in Central Mexico. The organization known as Cartel Santa Rosa de Lima (CSRL) is linked not only to gruesome mass killings but also to the use of improvised explosive devices and car bombs.
Mexican authorities increased the official toll to 79 dead, 81 injured as the result of a fuel-theft explosion in the state of Hidalgo. Dozens more are reported missing following the failed attempt by hundreds of villagers to steal fuel from a ruptured pipeline.
Mexico’s government confirmed the death of 66 people and dozens more injured following a fuel explosion in the state of Hidalgo. An attempt to illegally tap into a fuel line to steal gallons of fuel is currently listed as the cause of the explosion.
Approximately 200 villagers kidnapped and assaulted a group of Mexican soldiers after a raid aimed at arresting fuel thieves. The violence follows days of unrest in Mexico after federal authorities shut down the country’s oil pipelines in an effort to target fuel thieves.
