MEXICO. - At least 12 inmates escaped from prison yesterday with the help of a group of armed civilians in the city of Miguel Aleman, which is located across the border with Rome Texas, in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, officials said.

The state attorney’s office said through a press release that the incident took place on Tuesday February 26, at around 2.00p.m. (local time) when a group of armed civilians entered the premises of that city, and took the twelve inmates, two of them imprisoned for murder.

The group consisted of 15 people who arrived in several armed vehicles and subdued the guard at front gate, then moved to the customs area where with their weapons allegedly threatened the shift commander, seized the keys to the cells and released the prisoners, officials said.

Involved in the man hunt of these fugitives are the Ministerial Police, Military Police and state and federal entities, as well as with the aid of neighboring agencies for the capture of these inmates.

Prison breaks and riots occur frequently in Mexico.

This past September, 2012, 131 inmates escaped from the Piedras Negras prison in Coahuila, and became one of the most massive prison breaks of a Mexican prison.

Also on December 2012, 24 people died after a riot and a prison break attempt in the city of Gomez Palacio, in the northern state of Durango.

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Omar.Martinez@sandiegored.com