MONTERREY, Mexico, Dec 17 (Reuters) - More than 140 prisoners escaped from a prison near the U.S. border on Friday, media said, the latest breach of Mexico's notoriously insecure jails that are helping to feed a violent drug war.
The 148 prisoners broke out of a prison on the outskirts of Nuevo Laredo across from Laredo, Texas, in the early hours of Friday, newspaper El Norte and TV network Milenio said.
Many of the prisoners are believed to be serving sentences for drug trafficking, reports said.
Authorities were not immediately available for comment.
In September, 85 prisoners escaped from jail in the nearby border city of Reynosa. Authorities discovered in July that prison officials had allowed convicts out of jail in northwestern Durango state to carry out revenge attacks before returning to cells for the night. (Reporting by Robin Emmott; Editing by Jackie Frank)
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