Mexican army kills dozens of drug suspects

[Peikko 1,575]

Soldiers killed 25 suspected drug cartel members yesterday in a raid in a Mexican state near the US border that has seen a surge in gang violence, the military said.

Mexico's defence department said soldiers on a reconnaissance flight over Ciudad Mier in Tamaulipas state saw several gunmen in front of a property. When troops on the ground moved in, gunmen opened fire, starting a gun battle that killed 25 suspected cartel members, according to the military.

The statement said two soldiers were injured and authorities had rescued three people believed to be kidnap victims. Troops seized 25 rifles, four grenades, 4,200 rounds of ammunition and 23 vehicles.

The raid came after President Felipe Calderón tried to rally frustrated Mexicans behind the increasingly bloody drug war yesterday, saying he knows violence has surged under his watch, but arguing that it is the price of confronting powerful and brutal cartels.

Calderón delivered his annual state-of-the-nation address two days after his government arrested the third major drug kingpin in less than a year. But it also came less than two weeks after the massacre of 72 migrants near the US border, which laid bare how freely drug traffickers operate in pockets of the country.

"I am well aware that over the past year, violence has worsened," Calderón said. "But we must battle on."

Calderón has struggled to maintain support for a fight that was hugely popular when he first deployed tens of thousands of soldiers and federal police to cartel strongholds across the country in late 2006.

Since then, gang violence has become more shocking, with beheaded bodies found hanged from bridges and police discovering pits filled with dozens of slain cartel victims. Gangs have employed warfare tactics previously unseen in Mexico, including car bombs and blockades in front of police stations and army garrisons.

North-east Mexico has been particularly violent this year since the powerful Zetas cartel broke ranks with its former employer, the Gulf cartel, making the state of Tamaulipas one of the country's most dangerous battlegrounds.

In June, gunmen ambushed and killed the leading candidate for state governor a week before the elections. And in May a mayoral candidate in Tamaulipas was assassinated.

In August Mexican marines discovered the bodies of 72 Central and South American migrants believed to have been gunned down by the Zetas after refusing to smuggle drugs, in what may be the deadliest cartel massacre to date. The dead migrants were discovered at a ranch about 100 miles (160km) from the US border in Tamaulipas.

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[^_^ 5,021]

Troops seized 25 rifles, four grenades, 4,200 rounds of ammunition and 23 vehicles.

I'm no expert but that ratio seems odd.

[Peikko 1,575]

I'm no expert but that ratio seems odd.

People ran away? I don't know.

[Ban Hammer 13,469]

I'm no expert but that ratio seems odd.

grenades are probably difficult to come by.

[^_^ 5,021]

grenades are probably difficult to come by.

but these guys have a ton of cash.

maybe the mexican military helped themselves to a lot of what they found and left four for the media people to take pictures of.

[Darnell 8,479]

Yay ! more bullets n guns for Mexican Army !! This is great !!

GoGoGadget GetSomeMoreCartelMembers!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I'm no expert but that ratio seems odd.

They must be good shots, we could be in trouble. In WW2 we expended some 25,000 rounds of ammunition for each confirmed kill. By VietNam, when everyone had a machine gun, it was up around 200,000 rounds for each kill. The all-volunteer military has helped, along with sparse vegetation, but our ratio is still far above 4,200 rounds for 25 rifles. at less than 50 rounds per rifle. Thats not even a full ammo issue for ONE rifle. Heck I would be getting real nervous if my personal stock fell below 50 rounds per firearm...are you kidding me? How would I even keep house around here? 50 POUNDS per firearm is more comforting.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

but these guys have a ton of cash.

maybe the mexican military helped themselves to a lot of what they found and left four for the media people to take pictures of.

Ah yes...the Soviet weapon inventory. "Vanya, does this say we have 40,000 Kalishnikovs...or is that a "1", could it be 10,000?"

[mawilson 2,133]

They are killing the wrong people - they should be going after drug *users* instead of drug dealers. Dealers are just honest businessmen trying to fill the demand of their customers.

[alienlovechild 75]

I'm no expert but that ratio seems odd.

Troops seized 25 rifles, four grenades, 4,200 rounds of ammunition and 23 vehicles.

Nothing odd about it. A standard combat load of 6 30 round magazines and one lock and loaded in an M-16 equals 210 rounds. Multiply that times 25 weapons and you get 5250 rounds. Combat load comes from the 2 ammo pouches the LBE.

[Ban Hammer 13,469]

They are killing the wrong people - they should be going after drug *users* instead of drug dealers. Dealers are just honest businessmen trying to fill the demand of their customers.

they're just selling the drugs americans won't!

[mawilson 2,133]

they're just selling the drugs americans won't!

[peejay 327]

They are killing the wrong people - they should be going after drug *users* instead of drug dealers. Dealers are just honest businessmen trying to fill the demand of their customers.

No sh*t! Instead of whining about legalizing this #######, the dopeheads should just quit doing dope and feeding this murder and mayhem. But they would rather whine that the laws are the problem rather than their own nasty habits.

Hell...they should get off their lazy azzes and grow the sh*t themselves instead of feeding the criminals. I'm all for decriminalizing person use, but we should continue to prosecute and jail the criminal profiteers (aka: businessmen). They are far from honest.