In one of the bloodiest shootouts since last June, government security forces killed 42 suspected drug cartel gangsters in western Mexico on Friday (May 22).
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National Security Commissioner Monte Alejandro Rubido reported that one federal policeman died while another was injured in the three-hour battle. The face-off took place on a ranch inside the Michoacan state border with a cartel from Jalisco, home of Mexico’s second-biggest city, Guadalajara.
Via Reuters:
The death toll was one of the heaviest to hit Mexico since President Enrique Pena Nieto took office in December 2012 pledging to put an end to years of gangland violence that have claimed more than 100,000 lives since 2007 alone.
Government officials said the 42 killed by security forces near the town of Tanhuato were suspected members of the Jalisco New Generation (JNG) cartel, a gang based in the neighboring state that has seriously undermined Pena Nieto’s pledge.
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The gunfight followed an alert that was made to officials about an “invasion.” Upon arriving at the scene, police encountered a truck full of armed men who opened fire before attempting to flee. The assailants were chased to the gates of a large ranch where a gang of armed henchmen were waiting to attack.
Photo Credit: Daily Mail