Curacao politician fatally shot by gunmen at beach

Published May 05, 2013

Associated Press

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao –  A Curacao official says a prominent politician in the Caribbean island's coalition government has been fatally shot.

Public Prosecutor Norman Serphos tells The Associated Press that lawmaker Helmin Wiels was killed Sunday at Marie Pompoen beach. He says witnesses reported seeing attackers shoot Wiels and then speed off in a car.

Wiels was the fiery leader of the Pueblo Soberano political party, which advocates for Curacao's independence. The island is a mostly autonomous "constituent country" of the Netherlands.

The pro-independence party led voting in October elections but holds only five of 21 seats in Parliament.

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Mexico nabs 21 in newspaper, politician attacks

GOMEZ PALACIO, Mexico –  Mexican police have detained 21 alleged members of a drug gang linked to the Sinaloa cartel in connection with as many as 30 killings and the abduction of five non-editorial employees of a newspaper who were later released.

Prosecutors in the northern state of Durango say the kidnap-killing of a local politician was among the crimes charged.

A Thursday statement from the state prosecutor's office says the suspects included at least six females who were arrested in the northern city of Gomez Palacio and surrounding areas.

Police say they recovered 20 rifles and bags of drugs in making the 21 arrests.

State Attorney General Sonia de la Garza says the gang dealt drugs, but also acted as an enforcement wing for the Sinaloa cartel led by Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

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