Mexico Police Kill 13 in Deadly Shootout With Gang Members

The San Luis Potosi State police in Mexico conducted an operation Thursday evening in the Vaqueros community in Rayon municipality.

It led to a deadly shootout between the police and suspected gang members and resulted in the deaths of 13 people and the arrest of two others.

According to the Associated Press, the 13 people killed were all suspected gang members. No San Luis Potosi State police were reported injured.

The casualties included 10 men and three women. Authorities reported that tactical gear and vehicles were also seized following the operation.

Operation in Mexico Was in Response To Killing of Agent and Relative

The San Luis Potosi state prosecutor's office reported that the operation was a result of investigations following the death of a state police operative and a relative.

The shootout happened the same day state police arrested four people burying the officer and the relative in the Vaqueros community in Rayon municipality.

According to Crisis 24, security forces were looking for a high-ranking civil guard leader who was kidnapped last Wednesday, along with his wife.

It led the police to a location in the Vaqueros community and arrested the four people attempting to bury their bodies.

Drug trafficking organizations, including local gangs and big drug cartels, often target government security forces with their acts of violence. That is a common practice in San Luis Potosi state in north-central Mexico, where the shootout happened.

Criminal activity has recently increased in the area, with bodies being dumped on roads near Tamasopo. The bodies usually have the slogans or initials of local gangs written into them as a warning to their enemies.

Several cartels are currently vying for territory and smuggling routes in the state of San Luis Potosi. The two most prominent are the local Northeast Cartel and the deadly Jalisco New Generation Cartel, which had been invading the state as of late.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador Tries Different Approach in Handling Mexico's Drug War

The administration of Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is facing high rates of violent crimes, which have stubbornly remained high despite the drug war started by former Mexican President Felipe Calderon in 2006. Instead of meeting brute force with brute force, Lopez Obrador is trying a different approach.

According to the Washington Post, he wanted to attack the violence brought about by these Mexican drug cartels with social programs. The president wanted to avoid a head-on confrontation against the powerful cartels, unlike many of his predecessors.

In a statement last month, Lopez Obrador said he was "absolutely convinced" that one cannot confront violence with violence, as he believes coercive measures won't be enough.

So far, Mexican drug cartels like Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco cartel have largely dominated Mexico and resisted efforts by local police to eradicate them. Many have grown in force, adapting heavy weapons and tactics often used by terrorist groups in the Middle East.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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