Mexico | 13 police officers and prosecution investigators dead in gang ambush

Defence Redefined

Published on 19/03/2021 at 09:13

At least the 13 people, police officers and prosecution investigators, were killed on Thursday in an ambush by gang members in central Mexico, stated the Secretariat for Security and the Attorney General’s Office.

The deadly attack took place in the municipality of Koatepek Arina, as the police and prosecutors convoy was carrying out patrols against gangs operating in the area, according to the same sources.

“At this stage, we know that five police officers and eight officers of the Attorney General’s Office were killed in this cowardly attack,” a joint statement from the two Mexican institutions said. Following the attack, members of the National Guard and the armed forces launched a manhunt to locate the perpetrators. Authorities have stated that this action will not go unpunished.

The state of Mexico, adjacent to the federal district where the capital is located, is considered one of the most dangerous in the country. There are several drug cartels involved, including Familia ichoacana. More than 300,000 people have been killed in Mexico since December 2006, when the then government declared war on drugs, deploying troops within the country. Authorities have blamed most of the deaths on organized crime gangs.

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Source: CNA