Police chief killed in northern Mexico

TAMAULIPAS, MEXICO: Nuevo Laredo police chief on Wednesday was killed by unknown gunmen in Tamaulipas State, northern Mexico, El Universal newspaper reported in Thursday.

Manuel Farfan, a former service member with the Mexican Army, was gunned down at about midnight in Nuevo Laredo city near the U.S. border city of Laredo, Texas. Farfan had only 33 days as police chief.

Tamaulipas authorities located six bodies between Venezuela Street and Plutarco Elías Calles Street. Farfan was identified as one of the victims and the others were later confirmed as his personal assistant and his bodyguards.

No criminal group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Preliminary reports indicate that the group was shot down by gunmen as they were travelling in downtown Nuevo Laredo.

The retired military man was appointed as police chief of Nuevo Laredo on January 1. From August to October 2010, he was the Police Director of Michoacan State, one of the states most impacted by drug trafficking and related violence.

This year, Mexico's government appointed nine former Army members as police chiefs throughout the state, one of them was Farfan. Tamaulipas has endured many gun battles between the many organized crime groups that are disputing the northern region.

On January 27, Farfan mad his final public appearance as he presented the photos of individuals involved in fraud scams targeting returning immigrants in the northern state.

(BNO NEWS )