Mexican marines kill 5 in shootout with fuel theft gang

MEXICO CITY – Mexican authorities say five suspected fuel thieves have been shot dead by marines during a raid in the central state of Puebla.

The state Prosecutor’s Office says the raid on a safe house used by a fuel-theft gang took place Monday in the town of Esperanza, near the border with Veracruz state. Several weapons were seized.

The gang was identified as “Los Bukanas,” the dominant criminal group in Puebla and the same one involved in a confrontation Friday in which four suspects and a marine died.

Gangs such as “Los Bukanas” drill into pipelines to extract diesel and gasoline for resale, causing an estimated $780 million to $1 billion a year in losses for state-run oil company Pemex.