66 Prisoners Escape From Ensenada Jail

Sixty-six prisoners crawled through a narrow drainage pipe to escape Monday from the municipal jail in Ensenada in a well-planned daylight operation that apparently was accomplished without violence, Mexican authorities said Tuesday.

The escapees--some described as suspected or convicted murderers, rapists and drug traffickers--represented more than one-fifth of the jail’s 306 prisoners, said Miroslava Cuellar, a spokeswoman for the mayor’s office. The facility is designed for 200 prisoners, she added.

By midday Tuesday, Cuellar said, state, federal and local police using roadblocks had recaptured 14 of the prisoners, most of whom had apparently secured rides out of the city.

Authorities were investigating the circumstances of the jail break, which is believed to be the largest ever in Baja California. There were conflicting reports about the escape, and authorities declined to give many details.

Speculation centers on the possibility that the prisoners may have had inside help for the late afternoon break.