Gunmen free 53 inmates from Mexican prison

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
An armed gang freed more than 50 inmates from a prison in central Mexico on Saturday - including two dozen with ties to a powerful drug cartel - in a daring raid that took just five minutes, a state governor said. The prison director, 40 guards and two police commanders who were on duty at the Cieneguillas prison in Zacatecas state were detained for questioning, according to Gov. Amalia Garcia Medina. She said footage from the security cameras inside and outside the prison indicates that guards helped the armed gang, although she did not provide details. "It's clear to us that it was a perfectly planned operation with inside help because it lasted just five minutes and not one shot was fired," Garcia said at a news conference. About 20 gunmen arrived at the prison before dawn in 10 vehicles and freed 53 prisoners, including at least 27 with ties to the Gulf cartel, she said.