Head, threatening note, found in Mexico

The head is left near the home of the Oaxaca state attorney general

Americas video

Reuters

Mexico lights world's largest artificial tree
Dec. 7: Mexico City ushers in the holiday season by lighting the world's largest artificial Christmas tree. The 362-foot tree weighs 300 tons. Msnbc.com's Dara Brown reports.

Thousands stage anti-drug protest in Mexico

Lawmakers throw punches during session

Video

An intimate look inside Rio's favelas
Oct. 4: With a beauty few cities in the world can match, Rio de Janeiro has always been a natural draw for tourists. But as NBC's Karl Bostic reports, more visitors are looking for the Rio hidden inside these slums.

Nightly News

NBC World Blog

NBC News correspondents and producers around the globe share their insight on news events.

Breaking news alerts (about 1 per day)
Click here to sign up or text NEWS to MSNBC (67622).

Find more alerts at alerts.msnbc.com

updated 4:07 p.m. ET July 6, 2008

MEXICO CITY - A human head was left near the home of the Oaxaca state attorney general with a note, purportedly from a drug cartel, threatening three officials of the southern Mexican state, authorities said Sunday.

State prosecutors said the head and note were found Saturday inside a plastic bag left a few yards from Attorney General Evencio Martinez' house in the state capital.

The note threatened Martinez as well as organized crime investigator Pedro Guzman and the leader of the state's governing party, Jorge Franco.

Story continues below ↓

advertisement | your ad here

The note signed in the name of the Gulf drug cartel said officials must "learn to respect that we are here and we won't leave."

A body matching the head was found outside the city. Officials said they have not yet identified the man.