Ambush kills 15 police officers in Mexico

(Vatican Radio) Mexican drug cartel gunman have ambushed and killed 15 police officers from a special unit.

 Listen to the report by correspondent James Blears: 

The ambush happened on a quiet rural road leading to Mexico's second city Guadalajara, in the Western State of Jalisco.  State Security Commissioner Alejandro Solorio says that the gunmen camped in the area for up to two days, lying in wait  for a convoy of the  United Force of Jalisco elite police.  As lookouts alerted them, they set vehicles on fire, blocking the road, before springing their ambush.

Solorio has not named those responsible, and there has yet to be a claim by any criminal group. But last month police killed a leader of the Jalisco “New Generation” drug cartel, and Solorio himself subsequently narrowly avoided assassination.

This cartel is sometimes known as the Matazetas   - “Zetas killers”- because they are in a deadly ongoing feud with the fearsome, and ultra-violent, Zetas drug cartel. The original leadership of the Zetas were special forces deserters from the Mexican Army.  

Mexico's eight year drug war has killed more than a hundred thousand people.