5 held for deadly Mexican casino firebombing
Five alleged members of the Zetas drug cartel have been arrested in northern Mexico and accused of setting the fire that killed 52 people in a Monterrey casino last week, Mexican authorities said today. Two other suspects are being sought.
The five, ages 18 to 37, admitted they participated in Thursday’s arson attack at Casino Royale and were members of the Zetas, Nuevo Leon state Gov. Rodrigo Medina said, the Associated Press reports. Some of the suspect had been arrested before for kidnapping or extortion.
Police are investigating whether the arson attack was in retaliation for the casino’s failure to pay extortion money to the Zetas. Most of the dead were women.
A surveillance tape showed eight or nine men arriving in four cars and setting the gambling house ablaze.