Mexico says off-road race damaged protected desert areas

Mexico's office for environmental protection says it has filed a criminal complaint against the organizers of the Score Baja 1000 off-road race for damaging protected desert areas.

The office said Thursday that some participants in the Nov. 14-18 race departed from agreed-on routes and damaged cactuses and other desert plants in the Valle de los Cirios protected area. Inspectors found damaged choya, agave and cardon plants.

Score International spokesman Juan Tintos Funcke says the Reno, Nevada-based company has not received any formal notification from Mexican authorities. Tintos Funcke's statement adds that "as soon as we do we will coordinate ourselves with them in order to attend to it."

The race starts from Ensenada in Baja California state.