Ambush of Mexican marines kill 5, wound 12 in border city

MEXICO CITY – A Mexican marine and four suspected gunmen were killed during a co-ordinated series of ambushes against marine patrols in a northern Mexico border city, authorities reported Sunday.

The attacks late Saturday and early Sunday left a total of 12 marines wounded.

Authorities said marines were ambushed three separate times in Nuevo Laredo, a city across the border from Laredo, Texas.

Marines returned fire and killed one gunman in the first attack, but suffered three wounded.

Another patrol was sent to help the wounded when it also came under fire; that ambush killed one marine and wounded several others.

A third patrol was ambushed just outside the marine base as it responded to the first two attacks. In that shootout, three gunmen were killed.

Mexico’s navy said in a statement that the gunmen had fake Marine uniforms and Marine markings on their vehicles.

Nuevo Laredo is dominated by the Northeast Cartel, an offshoot of the Zetas cartel.