Drug Cartels Kill 41 in Mexico in 24 Hours

It's been an extra-bloody 24 hours in Mexico this weekend, with more than 40 people killed in three cities in Zeta drug-cartel-related violence on Friday night and yesterday, reports the AP. At least 20 were killed in a bar in Monterrey late Friday when at least two gunmen launched an attack with AK-47s and AR-15s. Eleven more were killed just outside of Mexico City, which has largely been spared in the bloodbath that has dominated the nation, shot with high-powered rifles then piled close to a well. Ten more bodies were discovered around the northern city of Torreon.

Police said that the killings all related to the Zeta drug gang, in fights for territory with various rivals. "The violence is a product of this criminal rivalry ... surrounding the intent to control illegal activities in a community," said a law enforcement spokesman. Officials also announced that 1,800 federal police had been sent to western Mexico, where drug gangs have blocked highways and attacked police in retaliation for the deaths of four members at the hands of law enforcement. (More Mexico stories.)