Reuters AlertNet Lite - Gunmen kill second Mexican 'norteno' singer

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Gunmen kill second Mexican 'norteno' singer

15 Dec 2006 04:47:18 GMT
Source: Reuters

MEXICO CITY, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Gunmen shot dead Mexican musician Javier Morales in the western state of Michoacan where drug-related violence is rife, police said on Thursday.

Morales, who sang "norteno" music, a style linked to drug cartels, was shot six times on Wednesday night. The state prosecutor's office said the 28-year-old singer's body was dumped in a plaza in the town of Huetamo, part of the Tierra Caliente region of Michoacan.

"They found him in the square, thrown on the ground," a spokeswoman said. She said it was too early to say if the crime was drug-related.

Feuding drug gangs have killed hundreds or rivals in Michoacan this year, sometimes beheading their victims.

Norteno singers often write corrido songs, a traditional musical form once commonly dedicated to Mexico's revolutionary heroes. These days corridos commonly recount the exploits of drug smugglers.

Last month, singer Valentin Elizalde, known as "El Gallo de Oro," or the Golden Rooster, was gunned down along with two friends in a drive-by shooting after a concert in the city of Reynosa across the border from McAllen, Texas.

President Felipe Calderon's government this week sent soldiers, federal police and Navy forces to Michoacan to try to recapture areas controlled by the gangs and destroy opium and marijuana plantations.

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Last updated:Fri Dec 15 04:48:52 2006