Incident at the U.S. Consulate

Monterrey, NL October 12, 2008 --- During the early morning hours of Sunday, October 12, two unidentified men approached the U.S. Consulate General in Monterrey. One of them fired several times hitting the front gate and windows of the facility. The second man threw a hand grenade that did not explode. Six spent .45 caliber casings were found at the scene.  The Consulate’s security video is being analyzed. There were no injuries or significant damage as a result of the incident.  The security at the Consulate was increased and the investigation in coordination with local authorities is ongoing. The motive of the two assailants is unknown.

The United States Consulate General expresses its profound concern about this incident. We will seek its rapid clarification.  We thank the community for its concern as well as the Mexican authorities for their rapid response.