Republished June 02, 2016 - 10:13 AM
Original Publication Date June 02, 2016 - 7:15 AM
MONTERREY, Mexico - Three prisoners were killed and 19 wounded in disturbances at the same prison in northern Mexico where 49 died in a riot in February, officials said Thursday.
Nuevo Leon state general secretary Manuel Gonzalez said that guards responded within two minutes Wednesday night, but three prisoners were already dead in the new riot at the Topo Chico prison.
He said the motive appeared to be to eliminate an inmate leader, who was among those killed.
State prosecutor Roberto Flores raised the number of wounded to 19, from the 14 that officials originally reported. Seven of those are serious, he said.
Standing outside the prison on Wednesday night, Gonzalez said, "We have a prison with a lot of deficiencies because it is a very old prison ... The fight between prisoners is part of a very big problem." He added that no shots were fired. Guards and state police responded to the fight with tear gas around 9:30 p.m.
Some guards are under investigation, he said.
The new incident comes just days before Gov. Jaime Rodriguez Calderon is scheduled to visit the prison to talk about more medical services and training for the prisoners.
The Feb. 11 riot between two factions of the Zetas cartel led to seizure of more than 200 weapons and the arrest of some of the prison's administrators.
Mexican Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong said Thursday in an interview with Radio Formula that the previous incident showed there was no administration, but rather impunity and corruption.
"We're talking about a riot. We're not talking about an attempt to escape the prison," he said.
After the February riot, authorities hauled a trove of contraband luxuries out of the prison. They found saunas, food stands, refrigerators and aquariums among other items.
In April, Mexico's National Human Rights Commission said most of country's prisons were ill-equipped, overcrowded and dangerous.
News from © The Associated Press, 2016