72 bodies found after shootout in Mexico

Mexican marines found the dumped bodies of 72 people in northern Mexico following a shootout with suspected drug cartel gunmen....

Mexican marines found the dumped bodies of 72 people in northern Mexico following a shootout with suspected drug cartel gunmen,that left one marine and three suspects dead,the Navy reported late on Tuesday.

The cadavers of 58 men and 14 women were found at a spot near the Gulf coast,south of Matamoros. It appears to be the largest drug-cartel body dumping ground found in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against drug trafficking in late 2006.

The federal government categorically condemns the barbarous acts committed by criminal organisations… Society as a whole should condemn these type of acts,which illustrate the absolute necessity to continue fighting crime with all rigor, the Navy said in a statement. The Navy did not divulge details about the victims’ identities,who killed them or whether the bodies had even been buried.

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The bodies were discovered when marines,manning a checkpoint on a highway in northern Tamaulipas state,were approached by a wounded man who said he had been attacked by cartel gunmen at a nearby ranch. The man was placed under the protection of federal authorities.

Navy aircraft were dispatched to the scene,and the gunmen opened fire on the marines as they tried to flee in a convoy of vehicles. In the ensuing shootout,one marine and three suspected gunmen were killed. Navy personnel seized 21 assault rifles,shotguns,and detained a minor. The youth,apparently a part of the gang,was handed over to civilian prosecutors.