Mexico City: The Mexican Navy says marines patrolling a lake along the border with Texas discovered a drug gang camp on an island, provoking a gunbattle that left 13 people dead.
The Navy says one marine and 12 gunmen from the Zetas drug cartel were killed in the gunbattle on the island on Falcon Lake, about 45 miles (70 kilometers) northwest of McAllen, Texas.
The Navy said in a statement on Monday that the gunmen opened fire when the marines found the camp. The statement said marines seized more than 20 guns, including several assault rifles, after the shooting on Sunday.
The statement said the Zetas were smuggling marijuana from the camp into Texas by speedboat.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, May 09, 2011, 23:52