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Drug war kills 13 more in Mexico

11 May 2011 01:41 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. At least 12 suspected members of the Zeta drug cartel and a soldier have been killed after Mexican marines attacked a camp at a lake on the Mexico-US border, APA reports quoting presstv.ir website.

The Mexican marines opened fire on the gang after finding their camp area on an island in Falcon Lake, in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, state-run BBC reported.

Police believe the gang based their camp on the island to easily smuggle marijuana into the US by speedboats.

Several assault rifles and over 20 guns were seized by Mexican authorities after the shootout.

Mexico says about 35,000 people have been killed in violence and deadly wars between drug cartels since December 2006, when the government began its campaign on illicit drug trade.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon ordered the deployment of about 50,000 troops across the country to combat drug gangs.

He has recently announced that four additional battalions would soon be deployed to the northeast of the country.

Attorney General Arturo Chavez says criminal gangs and drug cartels killed more than 15,000 people in 2010, making it the deadliest year ever in drug-related violence.