Two days after the burial of a Mexican drug lord, gunmen shoot dead the grieving family of an elite marine who gave up his life to take down the notorious kingpin.
In an apparent revenge attack, the mother, brother, sister and aunt of marine Melquisedet Angulo Cordova were killed in the southern state of Tabasco.
A fifth family member was injured in the attack.
"They broke the door down with a sledgehammer and sprayed them with bullets in the living room and bedrooms," local deputy police commander Saturnino Dominguez said on Tuesday.
The brutal murders seem to be in retaliation for a Mexican navy operation on December 16 that killed Arturo Beltran Leyva — the third-most wanted man in Mexico.
Known as the "boss of bosses", Leyva's cartel was one of Mexico's most powerful and violent drug gangs, responsible for fuelling much of the bloodshed across the county.
In a separate drug-related attack on Tuesday, hitmen gunned down state tourism secretary Antonio Ibarra and his chauffeur during a drive-by shooting in the western state of Sinaloa.
Violence-plagued Sinaloa is home to some of Mexico's most powerful cartels, including the gang run by the deceased Leyva.
More than 14,000 people in Mexico are believed to have been violently killed by drug cartel hits since 2006.
The Mexican government, which has deployed thousands of soldiers to the region, has failed to bring the violence under control. --
Press TV
Showcase your ideas, writing, and personal site to readers.
Make a secure online donation to