Drug Gunmen Attack Mexican Police Bases

Cartels at war again in Michoacan

(NEWSER) - The drug war appears to be heating up again in Mexican President Felipe Calderon's home state. Some 15 semi-naked bodies were found in a pile outside a gas station in Zitacuaro, Michoacan state, the BBC reports. All of the victims were male and three were minors. Police say threatening messages were left next to the bodies, which showed signs of torture. More»

Agents tortured, killed in revenge for drug trafficker's arrest

(NEWSER) - Twelve people tortured, murdered, and dumped along a highway in the Mexican state of Michoacan Monday were Mexican federal agents, the AP reports. The off-duty agents—11 men and one woman—were caught in an ambush by members of a drug cartel, officials said. The murders are believed to be revenge for the recent capture of a La Familia kingpin in MIchoacan, the home state of Mexican President Felipe Calderon and a center of his crackdown on drug traffickers. More»

(NEWSER) - The bodies of 11 men and a woman were found by the side of a remote highway in Mexico's Michoacan state yesterday, Reuters reports. The victims had been tortured before being executed, police said. Officials believe the killings are linked to an ongoing feud for control of the state between the Gulf drug cartel and a group of smugglers known as "the Family." Four bodies were found in the same place last week. More»

Violence further damages resort's tourism industry

(NEWSER) - A fierce, 2-hour gun battle between drug agents and Mexican authorities in Acapulco has left 15 gunmen and 2 soldiers dead, the BBC reports. After receiving a tip, troops ambushed a house in the resort town last night, as gunmen hurled grenades and crashed their cars trying to flee. Upon entering the house, soldiers found four police officers held hostage. More»

Man who dissolved bodies may be able to identify kidnap, murder victims

(NEWSER) - Families with loved ones missing in Mexico are hoping that "the stew maker" can give them closure, the Los Angeles Times reports. A day after the arrest of Santiago Meza Lopez—who confessed to dissolving at least 300 bodies for drug cartels—dozens of people lobbied Tijuana police to show Lopez pictures of the missing. Police say they are questioning him with the photos. More»