08/25/10 – A man with a gunshot wound arrived at a Mexican navy checkpoint and notified troops of where his attackers were. The troops mobilized and, along with aerial support, went to survey a ranch located San Fernando, Tamaulipas. Upon being spotted, a group of gunmen at the ranch began to shoot their weapons at the troops while attempting to flee. The shootout resulted in the deaths of three gunmen and one navy element as well as at least one person detained.
After the rest of the armed group fled, authorities seized weapons, including a variety of 21 assault rifles, and ammunition from within the ranch. Authorities also seized four trucks with features that made them resemble vehicles from the Secretariat of National Defense (Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional).
The biggest find came when authorities discovered 72 bodies, 58 men and 4 women, at the ranch. Investigators have yet to disclose information regarding the finding to the press; however, an unnamed individual, who claims to be the escapee that notified the troops, has stated that most of the 72 people found were undocumented immigrants from various countries in Central America. He said that the armed group killed the immigrants after attempting to extort them.
Sources:
La Crónica de Hoy. “Encuentran 72 cadáveres en rancho de Tamaulipas.” 25 August, 2010.
La Crónica de Hoy. “Eran indocumentados los 72 asesinados: sobreviviente.” 25 August, 2010.
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