Highway Ambush: Mexican Political Assassination Called Worst in Years

Photographs of this terrible scene show a development among cartels that is unprecedented.

(SALEM, Ore.) - The most high profile assassination of a Mexican political official since 1994 happened Monday in Tamaulipas, when the man running for the governor's seat in this state, Rodolfo Torre Cantu, was gunned down, along with his entourage, in a highway ambush.

These photos of the grisly scene were sent to Salem-News.com this morning by a contact in Mexico who updates us on the horrific deadly violence that has increasingly become the order of the day here, with drug cartels and government corruption consistently worsening.

Rodolfo Cantu was the animated and vibrant candidate for the PRI, the Institutional Revolutionary Party, which governed Mexico for 71 years until 2000.

The bodies and badly injured members of his campaign team were laying on the roadway, surrounded by their bright green red and white campaign vans.

Detectives believe Rodolfo Cantu and the others, were gunned down by suspected drug cartel hitmen.

President Felipe Calderon said in a televised address, that the drug lords are interfering with the election process in Mexico.

“Today has proven that organized crime is a permanent threat and that we should close ranks to confront it and prevent it from repeating acts such as the cowardly assassination that shocked the country today.”

Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines.

Tim holds numerous awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), first place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. You can send Tim an email at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com

Salem-News.com Top Stories

2025: Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst

Two Wars with No Way Out

No One Owns the Future

The Ugly Origins of Trump's America First Policy

A One-State Solution Could Transform the World

Comments Leave a comment on this story.

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.

Hank Ruark July 6, 2010 10:04 am (Pacific time)

gp:
No known modern religion puts natural life-forms above human life.
Gulf oil spill is tremendous debacle for thinking humans, for which we all share deep responsibility via universal interconnection you mention.

But it is obvious arrogant supposition to downgrade human loss of life no matter where, no matter whom, no matter what "they" did.

With border in chaos truly as threatening as Gulf oil-spill --simply different kind of tide, driven by same kind of natural forces-- we all stand both responsible and at further risk.

gp July 6, 2010 7:29 am (Pacific time)

Seriously, is this a fraction of the carnage in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill? The answer is NO. It is time for humans to get over thinking their petty little lives are more valuable than other living creatures on this planet. All life is connected.

gp July 6, 2010 7:20 am (Pacific time)

Well Tim, I couldn't believe that it was that long ago that Presidential candidate Colosio was murdered but you are right, it was '94. However, a certain friend of mine says that the drug cartels are just another big corporation, try to sue them for damages and see how far you get. Yes, just another crimainal corporation rather like BP or Goldman Sachs.

[Return to Top]