U.S. consulate in Mexico attacked with gun, grenade

MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) - Unknown gunmen shot at a U.S. consulate in northern Mexico and threw a grenade at the building but it did not explode and no one was injured, the consulate said.

"Two unidentified men approached the U.S. Consulate General in Monterrey. One of them fired several times hitting the front gate and windows of the facility. The second man threw a hand grenade that did not explode," the consulate said in a statement after Sunday's early morning attack.

Six bullet casings from a pistol were found at the scene.

Local police and U.S. federal investigators scoured the area for evidence but did not yet know the motive.

The consulate, which processes immigrant visas for Mexicans and gives services to U.S. citizens in Mexico, was closed on Monday for the Columbus Day holiday but is expected to reopen on Tuesday.

A police spokeswoman said the small-caliber weapons and the unexploded grenade could be a sign the attack was carried out by amateurs or people simply angry at the United States for not being able to cross the border, although authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a drug hit.

(Reporting by Mica Rosenberg and Gabriela Lopez; editing by Mohammad Zargham)