“A shoot-out between rival gangs left 18 people dead in Mexico’s Tamaulipas state, amid a surge in deadly drug-related crime, the state government said.
The government meanwhile announced the arrests of two alleged gang bosses and fresh charges against the scion of a major drug trafficking family, but previous arrests and killings have done little to stem the violence.
More than 34,600 people have been killed in clashes between rival cartels and security operations since Mexican President Felipe Calderon launched a massive military crackdown on the drug gangs in 2006.”
Source: AFP: Mexican shoot-out kills 18 as drug violence surges