| Date | March 4, 2009 |
|---|---|
| Time | 7 a.m. MST (2 p.m. UTC) |
| Location | Cerezo state prison, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico |
| Coordinates | 31°38′42″N 106°27′43″W / 31.6449°N 106.4620°W |
| Cause | Gang rivalry |
| Casualties | |
| 20 dead, 15 injured | |
A prison riot occurred at the CERESO state prison in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, on March 4, 2009. During the riots, at least 20 people were killed and 15 were injured. [1] [2] Although a police spokesman stated that no police or jail guards were killed during the riots, [2] the Red Cross said that two policemen had been killed. [3] The riot was a fight among several rival gangs, the " Barrio Azteca", " Los Mexicles" and " Artistas Asesinos" (AA). [4] [5]
Events
The riots began at roughly 7 AM local time (2 PM UTC), and lasted for about two hours. [2] 14 members of the Aztecas "subjugated" a prison guard with knives and stole the guard's keys. [5] [6] The gang then opened several cells, releasing 170 prisoners. [5] The prisoners forced their way into an area where members of the Mexicles and AA were meeting with family and friends during conjugal visits, and attacked them. [7] During the riots, prisoners set blocks of prison cells on fire, stabbed each other with knives, or were beaten. [1] Other prisoners used rifles and iron pins as weapons. [4] In addition, some prisoners were thrown from the second story of buildings. [4] Two of the 20 prisoners died at a local hospital, while the remainder died in the prison. [8]
At least 50 members of the Mexican Army and 200 police were deployed to end the riots. [7] An airplane and two helicopters were also used to quell the violence. [2] Earlier in the day, 1,500 troops began entering the city in an effort to reduce drug-and-gang-related violence, which, over the last year, took the lives of 2,000 people in Ciudad Juárez. [9]
References
- ^ a b "Mexican prison riot 'kills 20'". BBC. 2009-03-05. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
- ^ a b c d "20 dead in Mexico prison riot, official says". CNN. 2009-03-04. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
- ^ "Mexican prison uprising costs 20 lives". Radio Netherlands. 2009-03-04. Archived from the original on March 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
- ^ a b c "20 die in prison clash in northern Mexico". Xinhua. 2009-03-05. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
- ^ a b c "4020-MEXICO-PRISON RIOT UPDATE". RTV London. 2009-03-05. Retrieved 2009-03-06. [ dead link]
- ^ Tuckman, Jo (2009-03-05). "At least 20 dead in Mexican prison riot". The Guardian. Retrieved 2009-03-06.
- ^ a b Montemayor, Marina (2009-03-04). "20 inmates die in Mexican prison fight". AP. Retrieved 2009-03-06.[ dead link]
- ^ "20 killed in Mexico prison violence". Times of India. 2009-03-05. Retrieved 2009-03-06.[ dead link]
- ^ "Mexico troops enter drug war city". BBC. 2009-03-04. Retrieved 2009-03-06.