Mexico raids building project next to Teotihuacán pyramids

Mexico has sent in 250 National Guard troops and 60 police officers to seize a plot of land next to the pre-Hispanic ruins of Teotihuacan where authorities say bulldozers were destroying outlying parts of the archeological site

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico sent in 250 National Guard troops and 60 police officers Monday to seize land next to the pre-Hispanic ruins of Teotihuacán where authorities have said bulldozers were destroying outlying parts of the archeological site. Mexican archaeological officials reported last week that they had been trying since March to halt the private construction project, but work continued on what local media says were plans to build some sort of amusement park. The National Institute of History and Anthropology said the National Guard helped authorities put up seizure notices on the property just north of Mexico City. The seizure allows prosecutors to take control of the plot while those responsible for the work are investigated for criminal charges of “irreparably damaging” the national heritage. The delay in stopping the project underlined how Mexico’s unwieldy, antiquated legal system makes it hard to enforce building codes and zoning laws or stop illegal construction, even on protected historical sites.