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At Least 16 Killed, 5 Wounded in Mexican Prison Riot

Associated Press

   MEXICO CITY - At least 16 inmates in a central Mexico prison were
   killed and five more were wounded in a riot that closed out a violent
   2019 for the country, authorities said.

   Zacatecas state security secretary Ismael Camberos Hernandez told local
   press that authoritieshadconfiscated four gunsbelieved to have been
   brought intotheCieneguillasstate prison during visits Tuesday. He said
   the prison had been searched for weapons on Saturday and Sunday
   andthatno gunshad beenfound.

   The melee broke out around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and the prisonwasbrought
   under control by 5 p.m., according to a statement from the state
   security agency.Fifteen of the victims died at the prison and one died
   later at a hospital.

   One prisoner was detained with a gun still in his possession and the
   other threegunswere found inside the prison, the statement said.

   Camberos said not all the victims died from gunshot wounds. Some were
   stabbed and others beaten with objects.No guards or police were
   wounded,he said.

   Camberos did not offer a possible motivefor the attacks, but such
   killings frequently involve score settling between rival cartel members
   or a battle for control of the prison's illicit business.

   Mexico has a long history of deadly prison clashes. In October, six
   inmates were killed in a prison in Morelos state.
   In September, Nuevo Leon state closed the infamous Topo Chico prison,
   the site of manykillingsover the years. In February 2016, 49 prisoners
   died there during rioting when two factions of the Zetas cartel
   clashed.

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