By Frank James

Whenever you think you've think you've heard the worst story of vicious Mexican drug violence imaginable, you should probably just reserve judgment because there'll be another grisly crime that's even worse.

The story of the murder of the family of a Mexican marine who himself was killed in a military operation that wound up killing a major Mexican drug lord is one such story.

As NPR's Jason Beaubien reported on All Things Considered, it seems possible that Mexican President Felipe Calderon may have unwittingly contributed to the killing.

An excerpt from Jason's report:

After elite troops from the Mexican Navy surrounded and killed the head of the Beltran Leyva cartel last week, top security officials in Mexico warned that the drug boss's death would spawn a wave of violence.
Melquisedec Angulo was the only soldier killed in the hours long firefight that brought down Arturo Beltran Leyva, known as "the Boss of Bosses." Six of Beltran Leyva's gunmen died with him.
President Felipe Calderon praised Angulo as a national hero who laid down his life for a better Mexico.
Late Monday night, just hours after Angulo's funeral, men bashed in his family's door with a sledgehammer, according to local police, and sprayed the family with bullets. His mother, his brother, his sister and an aunt were killed.
Usually Mexican soldiers and elite police troops wear black ski masks to hide their identity.
President Calderon's praise of Angulo, after the slaying of the drug lord, revealed his identity and may have inadvertently outed Angulo's family.
Calderon in a statement denounced the attack as "cowardly."

It's a horrible news story. I just wish it were the worst we were likely to hear from the battle lines of the Mexican drug war. But we know better.

categories: Foreign News

6:51 - December 22, 2009

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