Drug insurgency in Monterrey kills 7

San Antonio Express-News/Houston Chronicle:

In one of the bloodiest seven-hour spans in the city's recent history, seven people were killed in three attacks linked to drug cartels.

At least one police officer was slain, bringing to 16 the number of lawmen killed in the Monterrey area this year.

"Without a doubt, this is due to a concrete strategy by organized crime that consists of generating terror in the population and destabilizing governments," said Aldo Fasci, a deputy attorney general for Nuevo Leon state, referring to the cartel violence across the country.

All three attacks occurred Thursday in heavily populated areas of the city.

Despite access to numerous witnesses and mobilizations of a large number of police after each attack, the authorities made no arrests.

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The authorities said the nighttime attack was in revenge for the day's first killing, a man police identified only by his supposed nickname.

"El Chucky" was shot multiple times while driving down a road in the city's northeast.

State detective Milton Pacheco Quintanilla was shot dead at a used car lot he owned on Monterrey's west side Thursday evening. His son, Milton Pacheco Araiza, and a car lot worker, Jose Castro Prado, also were killed.

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It is believed that the Sinaloa Cartel, run by fugitive Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, and the Gulf Cartel, infamous for its enforcers known as the Zetas, are fighting for control of the region.

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While President Calderon has made some headway in dealing with the drug thugs, there is clearly much work left to be done. Monterrey is a 100 miles or so from the Texas border and is probably a distribution point for smugglers. It sued to be known for the silver jewelry produced in the area.

The Zetas are former Mexican Army special forces troops who have a reputation for ruthless brutality.