Ten individuals identified as members of a Los Zetas kidnapping gang were shot to death in Veracruz state in a raid involving state police and Mexican Army regulars, according to Mexican news reports.A news account which appeared in the online edition of Proceso news magazine said that a security group including army and Veracruz state Ministerial Police raided a safe house in Perote municipality.
Several citizen's complaints had been filed about kidnappings and murders in the area as well as mass graves containing kidnap victims.
The raid took place in a village called El Sabinal. Security forces seized ten rifles, ammunition, weapons magazines and tactical gear. Among the dead was one female. One unidentified state police agent was wounded.
The raid comes just one week after the Governor of Veracruz, Javier Duarte confidently told the media that murders and kidnapping in the state had been reduced to zero because of the efforts of Mexican president Enrique Pena Nieto.
Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com and BorderlandBeat.com. He can be reached at grurkka@gmail.com.