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Mexican police finds 17 bodies in well, one victim

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Mexican police have recovered 17 bodies from a well, after one survived by escaping the kidnapping ordeal and informed authorities.

The members of the band, Kombo Kolombia, were found on Tuesday in a 15-meter-deep well on an abandoned ranch in northern Mexico about 30 kilometers from where they were taken.

The band had been playing on Thursday at a warehouse in the area of Potrero Chico when about a dozen armed assailants stormed the place and dragged the members out into waiting vans.

According to the survivor, they were beaten while the vans were driving and asked if they used drugs or were affiliated with any gang.

When they arrived at the ranch, they were forced to go down on their knees and were shot. The survivor had been able to escape in the confusion.

Police said the motive to the killings is unclear; however, relatives to the band members have told authorities earlier that the members had received threats.

At least 70,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence in Mexico since former President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against Mexico’s drug cartels in December 2006.

Current Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has vowed to reduce the crime rate as he continues the campaign against drug cartels.

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