Raid on Monterrey, Mexico, Holiday Inn: Bad News, But That's about All We Know

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Update (April 24, 2010)

• "Holiday Inn Raid in Monterrey , Mexico? What Raid?"
  (April 24, 2010)

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I don't think the raid on a Holiday Inn in Monterrey is a Mexican replay of the Mumbai attack back in 2008. (December 31, 2008, for starters)

But I could be wrong.

Mexico had a rather rude wake-up call in 2008, when too many tourists were killed in Tijuana. Word got around, and gringos started avoiding the place. Can't say that I blame them: but it was bad for the tourism industry there. (April 30, 2008, comments)

The New York Times and Los Angeles Times imply that the raid - which appears to have been partly a kidnapping - is related to Mexico's drug industry. The non-legal one.

They could be right.

A snatch involving 50 men, and possibly netting the raiders seven captives, seems like a rather large-scale operation.

Details are sketchy. No surprise there: the raid apparently happened early today, and - well, Monterrey police apparently had trouble getting to the hotel. There were roadblocks.

So, right now: it's an - interesting - development. And a troubling one.

But I don't have enough information to have much of an opinion: except the obvious "something bad happened."

Related posts:

• "The 90% Solution: American Guns, Mexican Raids, and Common Sense"
  (April 2, 2009)
• "Pakistan and Mexico Collapse Possible: Why I'm Glad Somebody Else is President"
  (January 14, 2009)
• "Committee to Protect Journalists Unveils the Impunity Index"
  (April 30, 2008)

In the news:

• "At Least 7 People Abducted in Mexican Hotel Raids"
  The New York Times (April 21, 2010)
• "Armed gang abducts seven Mexicans in hotel raid: official"
  AFP (April 21, 2010)
• "Monterrey hotel attacked in Mexico kidnappings"
  Los Angeles Times (April 21, 2010)