Second survivor in Mexico massacre, gov't says

Mexico City, Agency
A second survivor of the massacre that claimed the lives of 72 migrants last week in northeastern Mexico "has provided important information for the identification of those suspected of being responsible," the government said Wednesday.

The eyewitness, who is being kept in a secure location and whose identity is not being released, "has already had contact with his country's authorities," the Attorney General's Office and the Foreign Relations Secretariat said in a statement.

"The Government of Mexico has provided protection and security to the Honduran national with the full knowledge and support of his country's authorities," the statement said.

The Honduran has been offered "the options corresponding to his migratory status," the Cabinet departments said, adding that Mexico was taking "the maximum measures to guarantee his security."

The Mexican government confirmed Wednesday that a second person survived the Aug. 24 massacre at a ranch near San Fernando, a town in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, after Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa revealed that the first survivor identified, Luis Freddy Lala Pomavilla, 18, shared the information with him.

The Ecuadorian teenager notified Mexican marines of the killings and told officials that the migrants were kidnapped by armed men before they reached the U.S. border.

Marines found the bodies of the 58 men and 14 women after a shootout with gunmen at the ranch that left a marine and three criminals dead.

The bodies of the 16 Hondurans identified by investigators were repatriated on Wednesday morning.

Authorities have identified 46 of the 72 people killed at the ranch, of whom 21 were Hondurans, 13 were from El Salvador, five were Guatemalans, six were from Ecuador and one was from Brazil, El Salvador's government said Tuesday night.

Investigators suspect that the massacre was carried out by members of the notorious Zetas drug cartel.

The massacre occurred as a result of the war between the Gulf cartel and Los Zetas in northeast Mexico, officials said.

After several years as the armed wing of the Gulf cartel, Los Zetas went into the drug business on their own account and now control several lucrative territories.