MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — Mexican soldiers say they seized guns, ammunition and hand grenades after a shootout in the northern city of Monterrey killed two suspected drug cartel gunmen.
Suspected gang members also blocked roads in the city for the second day yesterday, in a bold attempt to impede security patrols.
Gunmen opened fire on an army patrol outside the gates of a prestigious private university in Monterrey, which is Mexico's third-largest city and a major industrial hub. The army says one soldier was wounded.
President Felipe Calderon (fay-LEE'-pay kahl-duh-ROHN') has deployed tens of thousands of soldiers and federal police across Mexico over three years in a U.S.-backed campaign to crush brutal cartels battling each other for turf.
Gang violence has since surged, claiming nearly 18,000 lives.
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MEXICO flag, waving, lettering DRUG WAR, on texture, finished graphic
<<APPHOTO MXDL106 (03/19/10)>>
: Mexican Navy marines stand next to a helicopter after detained members of a drug cartel were shown to the press in Monterrey, Mexico, Friday March 19, 2010. According to the Navy, the men were in possesion of assorted weapons, ammunition, military uniforms, and communications gear. In the foreground a military uniform shows an embroidered patch of the Gulf Cartel criminal organization.
