Although details are sketchy, Mexican officials report that two men were detained in northern Zacatecas state as suspects in the Independence Day attack that killed seven and injured more than 100.
Officials suspect that La Familia, a Michoacan-based drug gang, may be responsible for the grenade attacks. Since President Felipe Calderon is a native of Morelia in the western state of Michoacan, the theory is that the attackers may be attempting to pressure the president to abandon his crackdown on organized crime.
News reports said the men arrested in Zacatecas appeared to bear injuries similar to shrapnel wounds suffered by victims of the grenade attack. The men are being held by the Mexican army, which is leading the campaign against drug traffickers.
Members of La Familia sent a text message denying involvement in the attack, blaming instead the Zetas, another brutal drug cartel gang.
Although violence has escalated in Mexico, most is within the organized crime community. This was the first time civilians had been directly and indiscriminately targeted. Mexicans fear that now anyone is fair game. Of the seven people killed Monday night, five were women. Most of the victims were from humble families for whom open-air town square celebrations are major social events.
"We are reaching a very extreme level of violence that we’ve never seen before," said Ordulia Castro, a 39-year-old nurse. "They are killing innocents. This isn’t going to stop here. It’s going to continue until we are in a guerrilla war, just like Colombia."
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