Police chief dies in Mexico shootout

Mexico City, May 7 (IANS/EFE) The director of investigations of the Public Safety Secretariat in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas was one of five people killed in a shootout in Ciudad Victoria, the state capital, officials said.

Salvador de Haro Muñoz and four armed civilians died in the shootout Monday night, the Tamaulipas Coordination Group or GCT said Tuesday.

Officials reported Monday that the shootout occurred, but they did not say the police chief was one of those killed.

Three marines and a soldier were wounded in the shootout, and five suspects, including two women, were arrested following the shootout, the GCT said.

The shootout started when state and federal law enforcement agents arrived at a house occupied by the gunmen, who opened fire on officers.

Army troops detained 15 suspected criminals in different operations across the state, the GCT said.

The Gulf and Los Zetas drug cartels have been fighting for control of Tamaulipas and smuggling routes into the US for years.

The violence has spiked in recent weeks, but federal officials have not taken any additional measures to deal with the situation in the border state.

Mexican Attorney General Jesus Murillo said recently that there were no plans to name a special commissioner for Tamaulipas as was done in the western state of Michoacan.

--IANS/EFE

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