Gang shootout in Mexico, 17 people killed

On February 21, El Pais newspaper reported that 17 people were killed in a gunfight in the suburbs of San Miguel Totolapan in the southern Mexican state of Guerrero. Initial investigation results from the authorities showed that this was a fight for influence between drug trafficking gangs.

Mexican police stand guard in Mexico City. Photo: REUTERS

Information from local authorities said that among those killed in this gunfight were 16 members of La Familia Michoacana, one of the notorious gangs operating widely across Mexico, the rest were members of the local Los Tlacos gang.

At the scene, authorities discovered many military weapons and hundreds of bullet casings scattered over a large area.

Just 400km from the Mexican capital, Guerrero state has in recent years become one of the hottest spots for drug trafficking. According to incomplete statistics, there are dozens of shootouts between gangs fighting for territory each year, resulting in hundreds of deaths.

Mexican drug cartels also engage in extortion of almost any business, legal or illegal, sometimes attacking or burning farms and stores that refuse to pay.

SOUTH

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