In what was described as the deadliest gunfight violence between members of notorious Mexican drug cartel and the police, 43 gang members were killed with 1 police fatality on Friday, 22nd May.
The fight happened near the town of Tanhuato, Michoacan State when the police tried to raid their hideout with fiery gunfire exchanged, resulting in 43 casualties among the gang members. The gunfight lasted for 3 hours, the heaviest in decades, reported Reuters.
Reuters reported that since President Enrique Pena Nieto took office in December, 2012, he has pledged to come out hard on gang-related violence and the increasing dominance of drug related cartels threatening the civility of the country. Gangland violence has claimed more than 100,000 lives since 2007, underscoring the severity of the problem in the country.
The gang members killed on Friday’s raid was believed to belong to the Jalisco New Generation (JNG) cartel and often involved in turf war with other cartels.
