Combating crime

Mexican army ordered to 'take out' criminals

The Mexican soldiers who killed 22 people last year in a town called Tlatlaya had been ordered by their superiors to "take out" criminals at night, according to military documents presented by a Mexican human rights group.

One year after the killings at a grain warehouse about 240 kilometressouthwest of the capital – during which several people were apparently lined up against a wall and shot – the incident has become an emblematic case in the debate over how Mexican soldiers and police use force in their war against drug cartels.