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Margarito Perez / Reuters
Mexican marines inspect a bullet-riddled armoured U.S. embassy SUV on a road near the town of Tres Marias, on the outskirts of Cuernavaca on Aug. 24, 2012.
Two U.S. police instructors were accidentally shot and wounded by Mexican police early on Friday after being mistaken for criminals, a Mexican government security official said.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said Mexican federal police thought the vehicle in which the U.S. officials were traveling belonged to a group of suspected kidnappers they were pursuing and opened fire on it.
"This was all because of a mix-up," the official said.
The incident took place south of Mexico City close to the city of Cuernavaca, which has been ravaged by criminal gangs during the government's conflict with drug cartels.
The car in which the U.S. police were traveling had diplomatic plates and was driven by a Mexican marine, the security official added. The two U.S. officials were in Mexico to help train police, the official said.
A Mexican police official confirmed this version of events, which sparked several conflicting media reports.
The U.S. Embassy in Mexico was still checking the reports but could not yet give any details, a spokesman said.
A spokesman for the local government in Cuernavaca said the two wounded people were taken to a nearby hospital.
The Associated Press reported the Americans apparently stumbled into a running gunbattle while they were headed to a military installation on a rural road. After gunmen in several cars fired on the Americans' car, federal police arrived and apparently opened fire as well, according to the AP.
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Roadside shootings have been a feature of the violence linked to drug gangs that has overshadowed President Felipe Calderon's six years in office. Gangs have been known to set up fake military checkpoints to ambush rival groups.
Last year two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were shot by hitmen on a major Mexican highway. One of the agents died.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Seems like the Mexican police could use some training...
Yes, mainly in marksmanship.......
Seems the same as US service men getting shot and killed by Afghan "police" in Afghanistan now this. Why must we get so involved in policing the world? If we focus on keeping our borders tight things can change. The bright idea sell them guns to track Mexican drugloards also backfired. We need to stay out and let them deal with their filth........
This brings true meaning to the term "Being In The Wrong Place At The Wrong Time"
Actually James be glad they can't shoot straight or this might have been 2 deaths.
To Seven, for some odd reason our leaders think its the USA's job to police the world.
Guess they toook that movie too much to heart...."TEAM AMERICA" F yeah!! lol
Clearly they're only alive due to the reinforced glass.
Hope they make it.
seven2seven- the problem is it's an election year so patrolling our borders is of little significance since garnering Latino votes is of greater significance
They will start patrolling our borders soon enough election or not hopefully. This kind of violence is going to reach into American soon if our borders are not safe guarded. I hope the administration is preparing for it cause you don't have to be from HARVARD to see it coming.
You wonder why crime is so out of control in Mexico, their Federal Police do not have the brains to recognize that a vehicle with diplomatic plates on it is not the kidnappers they are after. Diplomatic plates are intentionally very distinctive so this should never have happened. This is nothing more than a case of trigger happy idiots opening fire before they are even sure who they are firing at. Of course this is not much worse than the New York police who in taking down one shooter fires fourteen shots and managed to hit nine civilians in the area while they were at it. This means that of the fourteen rounds that the police fired, at least nine of them (64%) missed their target. I guess the shooting qualifications for New York police only require you to keep the bullet in the shooting range. You wonder why most civilians in almost every country have no faith in their police forces!!!
Perhaps the next encounter should find the U.S. contingent returning fire with large, very large weaponry and deadly accuracy that establishes that messing with the U.S. "trainers" may not be such a very smart thing to do. If the Mexicans cannot ensure the protection of the U.S. personnel, they should be insistent enough to "guarantee" their own presence with a statement.
A few dead Federal Forces will attract some immediate Mexican solutions!
Wow it hard to write about Hawaii drug problem in StAR advertiser some one must be blocking .but i belive in freedom of speech .Help stop mafia like operation to long in business been past down to other family members . cover-up is great ... --- ... sign no nameplease
They hit what they were told to shoot. Mexico is America's greatest enemy.
If the US government can post 26,500 armed US troops in South Korea to protect their border and country why can't our government post 26,500 armed US troops on our border to protect our country? And be allowed to open fire with live ammo. The Mexicans are the enemy.
GTR5, why stop at just our own border? We might as well also post armed U.S. troops in the streets too. Let's just declare martial law across the entire country. We can all feel safe when we're surrounded by armed government troops.
You are such a genius. Of course, distinctive plates can never be faked. Especially by criminals.
Round up all the illegals here and send them back. Then nuke the damn place.
Mike your an IDIOT!!
Kind of is...isn't he.
Yeah, that's a great idea........Good thing morans like you aren't in leadership roles.
Those police should be deported back to the U.S.!
Mike I agree we should send all the illegals back, but common now nuking are problems isnt the answer. Dont be an ignorant fool!! FYI this also happens here in america..simple mix ups happen daily.
yes dont nuke them, that would leave fallout traveling here, and leave us unable to go in and get natural resources out later. Better idea, post military on border with orders to shoot any foriegn invaders onto US soil. Also issue orders to return fire anytime they are fired upon, If fired on by mexican police or military ( which does happen) to advance 2 feet and secure the area as now part of US soil pushing those there farther south. When they make it to Mexico city arrest Calderon and start developing areas we would now control.
Wow, standard Republican move. Nuke em. For once I would like to hear a Republican say something besides kill everyone then we will sort it out.
So the Federales fired on a car that was suspect in kidnapping cases driven by a Mexican Marine...Perhaps they did get the right car just not the right passengers. So one could believe the Americans were riding in the back seat, where a kidnapped victim might be seated, and they did not aim to shoot the driver rather aimed to shoot a kidnapped victim....yea that is a plausible story...ever so much more feasible than a federale who was hired by a Cartel to kill American police.
The car had US Embassy plates MORON!
Driven By a Mexican Marine....Moron...The occupants in the back seat were killed by FEDERALES...Moron...It would seem that the FEDERALES and the Mexican Marine were blinded by drug/cartel money that shooting up an American Embassy car seemed like a good idea...moron
I don't suppose we will expect the American Government, Hillary Clinton, to ask the Mexican Government for a meaningful investigation.
"....Moron...The occupants in the back seat were killed..."
Who's the moron and who was killed?
My appologies for the error....not only did the Mexicans target a diplomatic tagged vehicle they shot for the back seat occupants.
Don't think I am ready to buy the Mexican explanation. As the article says; "The car in which the U.S. police were traveling had diplomatic plates".
Actually, this may have been an honest mistake. The majority of unescorted, black, armored SUVs with diplomatic plates running around the Mexican roads are probably carrying bigwigs of the drug cartels. They are pretty good at disguising their rides.
The Mexican police probably thought they were taking out some drug kingpins. Or, the Mexican police (on the payroll of one cartel) thought they were taking out a set of rival druglords.
This was an obvious declaration of war!
Sounds like these two gentlemen have their work cut out for them. How does one say Keystone Cops in Spanish?
Mexican version sounds like a bunch of BS, I think the injured US police officers should do what the illegals do here, SUE THE MEXICAN GOV'T for big $$$$$$$.
Eric, sure they do. The money doesn't come from taxes on the Mexican peons though. You can guess where it does come from. That is why the Mexican government doesn't want the U.S. to close the border. Their shipments would not be able to get through.
I really believe them. Yeah, sure.
Office of the Director of National Intelligence of all.
TRUST IN OUR LORD GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. The best counsel on all of Earth is the Bible. Tell all to read it daily.
The next time you vote do not vote for a promise vote a man that will tell the
world his LORD and Savior is JESUS CHRIST, and that he will serve him, family then Country.
And will tell all this on a Bible the truth of what was and is to come from are Lord GOD.
Read the Bible and tell the lost to do so to. The Bible the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
So help you GOD He will send his Son to Judge all.
May our Lord Jesus Christ and GOD the Father that is in Heaven,
Guide and Watch over us.
In this time of TRIBULATION, Strengthen your Faith, and encourage
all to Pray for their souls. The strong in the word of our Lord will Now
Help the World and be the disciples of our Lord's Word. It is time to
gather the lost sheep while you can and there still is so little time.
The Governments of all Nations need to read.
John 14:6-7 Jesus said ..........
United We Will Always Stand That
In GOD We Trust
True Patriots
The Lord's Little Helper
Paul Felix Schott
PS
All Government workers should have a pre-employment drug test and it need to start with Marion Barry.
Any one arrested from having or using drugs like Marion Barry should never be allowed in any
United States of America government office ever. Or never allowed to work for our government ever.
All Americans Should Stand Untied in GOD We Trust not the Wicked.
Do we want to go to Hell or Heaven support the good not the wicked.
Why is it not law in every state in the United States of America that if used or sold drugs you can never work for our Country in any form of Government as a worker. You cannot work for the Wicked and still say you are helping people and doing good.
Drugs in our leaders is sick no wounder they would not want a law to protect the good.
I guess a lot more of the wicked have gotten into our Government.
Too many die each year from one of them behind the wheel of a car of truck.
Then as wicked leaders they try to have their friends cover it up. Till someone good at heart puts it in the spotlight for all to see. Pray they do not kill one of your love ones.
GOD Bless
all the Law Enforcement and everyone that helps Stand for the good and may they always stay Good at Heart.
United We Stand In GOD We Trust
Not The wicked
May We Stay one Nation That Stands for GOD and Family then Country. For without GOD and Family we will have no Country.
Coo-Coo. Coo-Coo
Sir, in addition to being a fanatic, who I believe is bordering on Taliban level, you also appear to be an idiot. That is a truly dangerous combination and I hope you have simply run out of medication. If not, please consider relocating to Pakistan or Afghanistan.
I'm guessing you'll be on the news soon...
Paul Felix Schott is Romneys therapist and counselor.
Larry you're way to generous. I think Paulie is Romney's campaign manager.
Deuteronomy 28
43y The resident aliens among you will rise above you higher and higher, while you sink lower and lower.
44 They will lend to you, not you to them. They will become the head, you the tail.
45 All these curses will come upon you, pursuing you and overwhelming you, until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD, your God, by keeping his commandments and statutes which he gave you.z
GOD warned Americans that aliens would be the snakes in the Garden of Eden.
TL;DR, "No Value" o/
Paul, say what???? Please go take your medication for today!
Sounds like Afghanistan or Iraq, except there's only a river separating the US and this violence in Mexico.
What makes you think we're separated from the violence in Mexico? It's just not as bad here. Yet.
Mathuin, That said river is only in Texas. You forget about the three other border states to the West of Texas, and there is plenty of violence to go around there as well. You just don't hear about it as much!
Mexico is rife with corruption and there is no telling who ordered these attempted murders. One can only guess. What we do know is that this was no accident.
Obama apologizes for our police getting in the way of there bullets! Then lets the head of their Government come here and berate us in Congress for letting them cross the boarder illegally!
You're a man of few words, aren't ya Wild Bill?? LOL
In Mexico no one has guns execpt the Mexican Military, federal police, local police, & criminals and there are no execptions. That is why 53,000 Mexican citizens have been killed by guns voer the last 5 years. So Gun Control works-the criminals are the ones that had guns
It's just a matter of time until the cartels are as bad on our side as the Mexican side.
the gangs have already started.
Cops, criminals. Too many times you can't tell the difference anyway. Just look at all the vids of cops being criminals. Sometimes you wonder who the bad guys really are.
IMHO there's nothing to be done in Mexico by live US Police Officers that can't be done by Predators. Like the Ol_Doc says "Take two hellfires and call me in the morning".
i wasn't aware mexican authorities cared about criminals?!
one in the same
"They look like one to me" LOL those shady foreigners.
There is more to this story after you read it and realize so many things don't make sense. Shoot first, ask questions later? Car was marked with diplomatic plates? Probably an attempted hit or something.
I wonder is drug testing applies to the Mexican Police or Military??
Whatever happened to the use of Agent Orange???---or a similar spray to destroy the drug crop---or are they worried about the health of Cartel members?
They tried paraquat, in the seventies, and got sued for killing other crops and giving people cancer.
These guys should sue the Mexican government.Isn't that what their citizens do in the U.S.?
You will be lucky the Mexican Government doesn't sue the US for sending illegally armed police into their Country without documentation, and then having the Gall to get in the way of some of their bullets.
Biggest drug cartel in the world is the Mexican Government and the second is the US Government.
Last Vacation in Mexico!
Well, US Police, Criminals, it's easy to see how the mistake was made
they fallowed a suv never noticed it had a us embasy plate on it becouse looking at plates is the last thang police do...
then they opened fire on the us officers who by there own acount had been fallowing as suspected kidnappers.... therfore probably staked out the car and saw where they started and who got in the vehicle...
and of course opening fire on unconfermed kidnappers without exausting safer methods is standard protocol...
yep this seems ligit to me...
fallowed - definition of fallowed by the Free Online Dictionary ...
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fallowed?pip=false&premium=false&client_uid=2691777146&client_ver=3.5.0.229&client_type=IEPlugin&suite=true&aff_id=0&locale=en_us&ui=1&os_ver=6.1.1.0">
www.thefreedictionary.com/fallowedCached - Similar
You +1'd this publicly. Undo
Plowed but left unseeded during a growing season: fallow farmland. 2. Characterized by inactivity: a fallow gold market. n. 1. Land left unseeded during a ...
Since 1992 a total of 2,956 federal workers have died in the line of duty, with the overwhelming majority of them being in Iraq and Afghanistan. These are old numbers and do not include later deaths e.g. the ranger in the Pacific Northwest who fell 1000 feet trying to rescue stranded climbers or fire fighters who recently met their fate.
Accidental shooting my BUTT. You cant tell me they didnt notice the diplomatic lic. plates. Probably shot for revenge on the Fast and furious screw up By Holder and Obama
How much does anyone want to bet that this was,"Just an ACCIDENT!"