Mexico's Fox Calls for Calm After Drug-Related Killings

Mexican President Vicente Fox has called on his people to be calm following the discovery of twelve drug-related bullet ridden bodies along Mexico's border with the United States, Tuesday. The killings indicate the ongoing feud between rival Mexican drug cartels has again ignited.

The murders all happened in the Northern State of Sinaloa, pockets of which are infamous as drug traffickers' strongholds. It was the worst single day of narcotics-related murder in Mexico for at least a decade. It also signaled a new and bloody chapter in a turf war between cartels for supremacy of a multi billion dollar illicit industry.

Mexican authorities say the victims were all shot at close range, with semi-automatic weapons, and some AK-47 assault rifles, known in Mexico as goats' horns because of their distinctive shaped bullet magazines, were found at several of the murder scenes.

The first batch of three bodies was discovered in a car, close to the city of Mazatlan. Two more were found near the State Capital of Culican. One of these was identified as a notorious assassin who worked for the Sinaloa Cartel.

On the same stretch of road, five more bodies were found in a bullet proof van, and two more nearby.

Sinaloa's total drug related death toll, for the first month and a half of this year stands at 51.

In a speech to the nation late Wednesday President Fox urged his people to stay calm, and he promissed the law and order crackdown will prevail.

Mr. Fox said the only ones who should be without peace are the bad guys and not society. He said the government will protect law and guarantee freedom. And prison is the only possible destiny for the criminals.

The latest killing spree followed a recent warning by the United States that some areas along the border between the two countries are not safe for travellers.

For VOA News, I am James Blears in Mexico City.

注释：

ongoing [5Cn^EuiN] adj. 正在进行的

feud [fju:d] n. 不和，争执

narcotic [nB:5kCtik] n. 麻醉药

illicit [i5lisit] adj. 违法的

semi-automatic [5semi7C:tE5mAtik] adj. 半自动的

assault [E5sC:lt] n. 攻击

distinctive [dis5tiNktiv] adj. 与众不同的

notorious [nEu5tC:riEs] adj. 声名狼籍的

crackdown [5krAk7daun] n. 打击

prevail [pri5veil] vi. 成功