Article

2007-11-10 Caribbean-Latin America

Shoot out blazes in Mexico as navy fights drug gang

Mexican naval officers fought a ferocious gun battle with suspected drug hitmen outside a shopping center in the northern port city of Tampico on Friday, witnesses and Mexican media said.

Officers fought around a dozen armed men after being shot at from two SUVs during a routine patrol of the city center on Mexico's Gulf coast on Friday, witnesses told Reuters. The suspects fled on foot and the army closed off part of the city to find them, Reforma newspaper said.

"I saw about 200 bullet casings on the street, a grenade (unexploded) and blood stains," local journalist Lorenzo Martinez told Reuters.

Mexican authorities declined to comment on the gun battle in Tampico, in the state of Tamaulipas. Mexican cities in Tamaulipas bordering Texas are dominated by the powerful Gulf drug cartel and its armed wing, the Zetas. Mexican President Felipe Calderon has sent thousands of troops to Mexico's border cities this year to try to stop the drug violence.

Last month, authorities seized more than 11 tons of cocaine in Tampico, one of Mexico's biggest ever drug busts.

Around 2,350 people have been killed in Mexico this year in drug violence, most of it between rival drug gangs.

Okay, I'll say it: quagmire!

Posted by lotp 2007-11-10 00:00|| || Front Page|| [7 views ] Top

#1 Inquiring minds might wonder why the Mexican Navy is patroling a shopping mall, but astute observers will realise that, given the Mexican Army's involvement in the drug trade, this is simply one more Go Navy, Beat Army story.

Posted by SteveS 2007-11-10 00:30|| 2007-11-10 00:30|| Front Page Top

#2 Mexican Navy is trying to muscle in on the Army's turf?

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2007-11-10 00:37|| 2007-11-10 00:37|| Front Page Top

#3 Why does a drug cartel need an armed wing? Isn't that, like, redundant?

Posted by Raj 2007-11-10 07:38|| 2007-11-10 07:38|| Front Page Top

#4 #3 Why does a drug cartel need an armed wing? Isn't that, like, redundant?

it gives em plausible deniability? :-)

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-11-10 08:03|| 2007-11-10 08:03|| Front Page Top

#5 Why did Hitler have an SS when there was a Wehrmarcht? Trust.

Posted by Procopius2k 2007-11-10 08:40|| 2007-11-10 08:40|| Front Page Top

#6 Somebody missed a payroll.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-11-10 09:03|| 2007-11-10 09:03|| Front Page Top

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