A group of 13 alleged cartel suspects in north-central Mexico were killed the same day the gang abducted and killed a police officer.
10 men and three women were among the victims according to the San Luis Potosi state security agency who reportedly claimed that the incident occurred on Thursday (4 August) in the Vaqueros community in Rayon municipality.
The trouble all began when a State Civil Guard (GCE), named Héctor Mayorga Muñoz and his wife were abducted and killed.
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Borderland Beat (BB), a blog which has been reporting on the Mexican drug war since 2009, claims: "They were ambushed by a group of cartel hitmen who forced them to a stop. Armed hitmen forced both the officer and his wife out of their vehicle at gunpoint, pushing them into one of their vehicles.
"The gunmen then doused Officer Mayorga Muñoz’s vehicle in fuel and set it on fire. Near the burning vehicle, they placed a narco message, written on cardboard, which said he was abducted for being a traitor. The message was signed by the cartel group Zetas Vieja Escuela (or Zetas Old School, often shortened to ZVE)."
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The blog alleges: "Later that same day, at approximately 5:00 pm, a patrol of GCE officers spotted a suspicious group of armed individuals while they were out on a patrol within the area known as 'Vaqueros', within the municipality of El Rayón.
"The GCE agents managed to kill 13 (alleged) cartel members - 10 men, 3 women- who were inside the house or inside vehicles parked just outside the house.
"Many of those killed were wearing tactical vests."
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After the clash occurred, weapons, tactical gear and vehicles were seized.
BB claims that the following items were found during the raid:
5 long-barrel 7.62×39 firearms
22 long-barrel .308 firearms
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1 pickup truck with a license plate from Tamaulipas
1 double cab pickup truck, Ford Lariat, with Florida license plates
1 gray Honda CRV with no license plate
1 white pickup truck with black stripes, inside a shed
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1 gray Ford pickup truck, without tires, mounted between stones and metal structures, inside a shed.
Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has previously insisted that officials deal with violence in other ways.
"I am absolutely convinced that you can’t confront violence with violence, coercive measures are not enough, that is the conservative, authoritarian vision," López said last month.
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Anish Vij