SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (Reuters):

A group of United States tourists, including a former Marine, killed a Costa Rican mugger by breaking his neck after he pulled a gun on them in a Caribbean port, a local police official said on Thursday.

The cruise ship passengers told police they jumped on Wagner Segura, 20, to defend themselves when he pointed a .38 calibre revolver at them near the Caribbean port of Limn on Wednesday, and somehow snapped his neck, regional police director Luis Hernndez said.

Segura died instantly and two other unidentifiedthieves, one of whom was armed with a knife, fled the scene, Hernndez said.

"One of the tourists was a former Marine and he was probably the one who broke (Segura's) neck," Hernndez said. "His neck was completely snapped."

No charges will be filed against the tourists because police viewed the incident as an act of self-defence. Police questioned and released the group, which rejoined the cruise and left Cost Rica.

LIMA (Reuters):

Peru's government said yesterday it will accept the resignation of Interior Minister Pilar Mazzetti, whose purchase of police vehicles was questioned by opposition and ruling-party politicians.

Mazzetti will be the first cabinet minister under centre-left President Alan Garcia to step down since he took office for a second time in July 2006.

Mazzetti, a political independent who served as health minister under former President Alejandro Toledo, was criticised for supposed irregularities in the purchase of 469 vehicles for the national police force.

AMSTERDAM, (Reuters):

Dutch police have arrested a United States passport holder in Amsterdam who was found with a haul of guns, grenades and other weapons and is suspected of being part of a violent criminal organisation, prosecutors said on Friday.