Last week the army started conducting an operation called "Operation Clean Up" which is a systematic, municipality by municipality sweep of police officers involved with the cartels. The local news stations are covering the sweeps daily with many images of soldiers disarming and arresting police officers. So yesterday police from several municipalities decided to imitate February's "tapados" - the gang members who for a week blocked several of the main avenues in Monterrey. Read the AP News story here. About fifty police officers blocked a main avenue with their patrol cars and trucks during the afternoon rush hour causing a traffic gridlock nightmare. Soon the federal police showed up and immediately confronted the municipal police with assault rifles. It was a scary scene. Some of the municipal police were also armed with assault rifles and pointed them back toward the federal police. Talk about a Mexican standoff! (sorry, couldn't resist!)
The standoff grew in intensity with both sides shouting and continuing to point their weapons at each other until more federal police showed up and tipped the balance - outnumbering the local police. Officers on both sides were clearly angry and at the point of firing. One accidental shot would've resulted in both sides mowing each other down in a hail of bullets. Drivers who had been stopped by the blockade got out of their cars and ran for cover.
After maybe twenty minutes of the tense standoff the federal police began arresting and dispersing the local officers. Some were cuffed while others simply drove away. The media is blasting both sides for their unprofessionalism - the local officers for blocking the avenue in the first place, and the federals for their heavy use of force to get them under control. Fortunately the army stayed away and didn't get involved. In this case the army's presence probably would've driven the municipal police to fire - as frustrated as they are with the army crackdowns.
Fortunately the day ended without shots being fired but the situation remains tense and obviously unresolved. The army and federal police are continuing with Operation Clean Up and the municipal police forces will continue to be combed through by investigators looking for officers with drug cartels links.
As always, please pray for Mexico. This is just another battle in the continuing Drug War.
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