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Mexico has taken three men into custody over allegedly Tweeting rumors of shootouts and other drug violence. The Tweets were designed to spread chaos and fear throughout the state of Veracruz, authorities said.
State prosecutors in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz captured a third man on Saturday; they had already taken two men into custody on Thursday. The Tweets made claims of attackes by the Zetas drug cartel. In Veracruz, the names of the state and itss biggest city, as well as the neighboring city of Boca del Rio, parents rushed to schools in search of their children.
The Tweets warned of attacks on schools and banks, while adding the threat that "For each Zeta killed a child will die."
If found guilty, the two men would face three to nine years in prison. The men detained on Thursday were reportedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol when they were arrested.
The men could be charged as terrorists, as Veracruz state law defines terrorism as "any person using explosives, toxic substances, firearms, fire, flood or any other means to carry out attacks on persons, things or public services, in such a way that creates alarm, fear or terror in the public or any sector of it, so as to disturb the public peace or disparage the authority of the government or pressure it."
Veracruz is one of several states in eastern Mexico where the drug cartels are at war with each other; in that state, the Gulf and Zetas drug cartels are fighting for control.
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