5 dead in raging shootout among fuel thieves in north Mexico

MEXICO CITY – Officials say rival gangs of fuel thieves staged a shootout on a highway in the northern Mexico state of Chihuahua that left four suspects and a policeman dead.

Chihuahua state prosecutors say shots fired in the dispute left holes in at least four tanker trucks carrying stolen gasoline, and gas spilled from at least one.

They say Tuesday’s shootout included rounds from a high-power .50 calibre rifle and involved several pickups and SUVs, some of which had bulletproofing. One of the SUVs had 150 bullet holes in it.

The office says the police officer was responding to reports of a shooting when he was killed at the scene. No arrests have been made.

Fuel thieves drill an average of about 60 illegal taps per day into government-owned pipelines in Mexico.