29 inmates tunneled out of a Mexican prison

A total of 29 inmates escaped through a 16-feet-deep tunnel stretching for roughly 131 feet dug underneath a prison in the northern border state Tamaulipas, according to Blog del Narco. A total of 29 inmates escaped through a 16-feet-deep tunnel stretching for roughly 131 feet dug underneath a prison in the northern border state Tamaulipas, according to Blog del Narco. Photo: Courtesy/Blog Del Narco Photo: Courtesy/Blog Del Narco Image 1 of / 65 Caption Close 29 inmates tunneled out of a Mexican prison 1 / 65 Back to Gallery

More than two dozen inmates escaped from a Mexican prison, authorities there confirmed March 23, the Associated Press reported.

A total of 29 inmates escaped through a 16-feet-deep tunnel stretching for roughly 131 feet dug underneath a prison in the northern border state Tamaulipas, according to Blog del Narco. The male inmates range in age from 22 to 45 years old and were in the jail for various crimes including vehicle theft, kidnapping, carrying explosives and murder, among others, according to the blog.

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The Tamaulipas state security spokesman Luis Alberto Rodriguez told the Associated Press 12 of the 29 have been recaptured.

Rodriguez said the tunnel was hidden in a hut that inmates had illegally constructed in a part of the prison they essentially controlled.

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Rodriguez said about 30 guards at the facility had been placed under investigation, and appealed for help from neighboring states in re-apprehending the escaped inmates.

He said the prison dates to the 1940s and was outmoded. State authorities have been looking into moving the prison to other facilities, outside the city.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5