August 25, 2010

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Gunbattle near Mexican border spurs US warning

State Dept. workers were told to keep children home

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By Chris Hawley
USA Today

MEXICO CITY — The U.S. State Department was urging its employees Tuesday to keep their children home from a school popular with Americans after a shootout nearby in the northern city of Monterrey, the latest in a wave of violence.

The shootout near the American School Foundation of Monterrey resulted in the deaths of two security guards at the nearby offices of a Mexican bottling company. Four other security guards were kidnapped in the shootout by what police said were drug smugglers. They were later released.

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U.S. Ambassador Carlos Pascual urged consulate workers to keep their children home while U.S. officials study the security situation around the school, the U.S. Consulate said in a written statement.

"It is incumbent on all of us to take measures to reduce exposure to risk and enhance personal security," the consulate said.

Officials at the school declined to comment Tuesday. The U.S. Embassy said that there was no firm timeline for the security review and that the decision to send children to school would rest with parents.

The American School has about 600 students from kindergarten through 12th grade, 90% of them Mexican, according to the school's website.

The shootout Friday appeared to be a case of mistaken identity, said Alejandro Garza, the attorney general of Nuevo Leon.

Two security guards were patrolling in a vehicle outside the offices of bottling company Fomento Economico Mexicano S.A., better known as FEMSA, when they came across two vehicles driven by drug cartel hit men. The cartel members apparently mistook the guards for rivals and held them at gunpoint. When other guards came to help, the drug smugglers opened fire, Garza said.

"We are outraged that innocent people ... have been caught up in the violence that reigns in our city," FEMSA said in a statement.

Drug violence has worsened recently around Monterrey as the Gulf Cartel and their former allies, the Zetas, battle police and each other for control of smuggling routes. Hit men have started blocking Monterrey's streets with stolen trucks to slow down police as they carry out attacks.

On Aug. 15, the Televisa TV station in Monterrey was attacked with grenades. On Aug. 16, hit men killed the mayor of Santiago, about 20 miles from Monterrey.

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