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| Mexico Police Storm Prison to Restore Order |
| By Reuters |
| Published: 08/22/2002 |
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Mexican police on Tuesday stormed an overcrowded penitentiary in the city of Tijuana on the U.S.-Mexico border to restore order in the prison where inmates had set up businesses to sell drugs, alcohol and pizza. Some 1,350 police officers raided the jail known as 'El Pueblito,' or little town. Inmates offered no resistance and some 2,250 were transferred to nearby facilities, leaving 4,700 inmates in the Tijuana penitentiary, authorities said. Human rights groups have for years denounced irregularities at El Pueblito, which was built for a maximum capacity of 1,800 prisoners. 'This operation had the objective of ending the overcrowding that existed in the place and (saying) goodbye to the vices and impunity concerning the clandestine sales of drugs, alcohol and protection,' police said in a statement. 'In El Pueblito all sorts of drugs were being sold and protection was sold to prisoners with lesser physical capacities (than others),' the statement said. 'Big power groups had formed that nobody had dared to touch.' Police said the clampdown on the illicit business activities inside the prison was because the jail was operating like a 'main town square ... the envy of any luxury mall.' Businesses sold traditional Mexican food and seafood, pizzas, while others rented films, the officials said. |
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