Some other tidbits from Hector Tobar:They are trying to create a climate of intimidation and fear... in order to gain operational advantages. If the residents of a rural town or urban neighborhood come to believe that the drug traffickers cannot be defeated, they will refuse to cooperate with the authorities and create a "social space" of support for the traffickers.
Genaro Garcia Luna, Mexico's secretary of public safety in a press conference covered by the LA Times.
- The war claimed 20 people in 24 hours (as of Friday) across the country.
- The Gulf cartel and the Zetas are fragmenting into smaller, more violent groups (this will continue across the board).
- Classic military breakdown in the face of guerrilla pressure (3 officers and 16 soldiers were ordered detained in the shooting of a funeral party at a checkpoint).