The wave of violence sweeping Mexico has seen its horror night in Tabasco, where there were clashes in four prisons and shootings and vehicle burnings in the capital Villahermosa. In the early hours of this Saturday, panic broke out in a group of houses in the Campestre district, where there was a shooting initially thought to have been directed against the Minister of State Security, Hernán Bermúdez Requena, since his house was was close to the crime scene, which was denied shortly afterwards. “In my capacity as institutional spokesman for the Government of Tabasco, I would like to categorically deny the recent rumors of an armed attack against Hernán Bermúdez. The information being disseminated lacks veracity and it is crucial to prevent the spread of false news,” wrote Carlos Castillejos on the social network. The night wasn't over yet, local media reported that up to thirty trucks and people were burned in the fire that lasted several hours and lasted until the early hours of the morning. The pictures published by the neighbors show the city as a theater of war. Some companies were also affected.
As is usual during the Christmas holidays, there were riots in the state prisons. Comalcalco, Huimanguillo and the city of Villahermosa are the prisons that were affected, according to the media in the region, where two people died. This morning, the Minister of Security reported that “control and security have been restored in the communities and reintegration centers where unrest occurred,” in a coordinated operation between the Ministry of Defense, the Navy, the National Guard, the Public Prosecutor's Office and the State Security Secretariat itself.
Prison riots are often preceded by violent riots, a way to divert police attention while inmates revolt. This has happened at other times. On the morning of January 1 this year, similar events occurred in Ciudad Juárez, with a huge uprising that left 17 people dead and more than 20 refugees, including Neto, leader of the criminal group Los Mexicles.
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