Mexican government strikes back after ambush on soldiers

MEXICO CITY – One of Mexico’s top organized crime fighters says the government has struck hard against a cartel that ambushed a military convoy and killed five soldiers last month.

Gustavo Salas, who heads the organized-crime division of the Attorney General’s office, said Saturday an operation began Oct. in western Mexico’s so-called “Golden Triangle” region.

More than 1,000 acres of marijuana and poppy fields were destroyed, along with more than 30 tons of harvested marijuana and three synthetic drug laboratories.

Salas says authorities know who carried out the ambush, but have not publicly named the cartel. Arrests have been made and weapon, vehicles and even a lion seized.

The convoy was ambushed Sept. 30 while transporting a wounded cartel suspect to a Culiacan hospital. Another 10 soldiers were wounded and the suspect escaped.