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A hat tip to Nota Roja for additional information.
In the five months or so since we started watching the Mexican drug war, this is the first time I have read about drug gangs instituting roadblock for tolls. This is a means the old Sandinistas and the Salvadoran FMLN used to fund their operations
Death Toll Updated to 22 Bad Guys, 2 Wounded Mexican Soldiers
A total of 22 armed suspects dead and two wounded Mexican soldiers are the toll in Wednesday's gun battle in Nuevo Leon between a detachment of the Mexican Army and unidentified drug gangs, which authorities claim lasted more than seven hours.
In the same operation, the Mexican Army released unharmed three unidentified individuals who said they were kidnapped from Ciudad Mier, Tamaulipas.
The battle began Wednesday morning when an army patrol received a call about gang roadblocks on the General Trevino-Ciudad Mier highway, where armed suspects were stopping vehicles and extorting a toll from motorists, and in some cases robbing the passengers and their vehicles.
Reports say the suspects manning the roadblocks fired on the army patrol on their arrival. The ensuing initial gun battle lasted 20 minutes and killed eight armed suspects.
The army detachment with the assistance of helicopters and other military units in the area pursued the surviving gunman and fought two more gun battles, killing nine in the second firefight and two in the third.
A final battle, possibly a fourth, took place at El Rancho El Troncon 15 kilometers from the General Trevino-Ciudad Mier road, where the group apparently maintained its base camp.
At the camp, soldiers found 23 late model vehicles inside of which were found numerous munitions. Two of the vehicles were painted to look like Mexican Army vehicles.
Seized 25 assault rifles including AK-47 and AR-15 assault rifles, magazines and 4,200 rounds of ammunition, 532 magazines and several handguns.
The army also seized a Barrett .50 caliber heavy rifle and magazines with rounds numbering into the hundreds.
Also seized were a antitank grenade launcher, dozens of fragmentation grenades and several cartridges, for a total of 55 explosive devices.
Reports say many suspects were wearing military uniforms, as well as tactical vests and helmets. The army also found two kilograms of marijuana.
Reports also say that between 10 and fifteen armed suspects escaped the cordon in the area.
A video report on the battle (in Spanish):