Above: Mexican navy forces take cover during an operation Wednesday in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Four alleged cartel members were slain during a two-hour gunbattle, and a fifth reportedly committed suicide. Left: Alleged drug cartel chief Arturo Beltran Leyva is seen in this undated image from Mexico's Attorney General's Office. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says the Beltran Leyva cartel is key in the importation and distribution of cocaine and heroin in the United States.
The Associated Press reported that yesterday two hundred Mexican navy sailors raided an upscale apartment complex and killed a reputed drug cartel chief in a two-hour gunbattle, one of the biggest victories yet in President Felipe Calderon's drug war.
Arturo Beltran Leyva, the "boss of bosses," and three members of his cartel were slain in the shootout Wednesday in Cuernavaca, just south of Mexico City, according to a navy statement. A fifth cartel member committed suicide during the shootout.
Cartel gunmen hurled grenades that injured three sailors, the navy said. An Associated Press reporter at the scene heard at least 10 explosions.
Go here for the full Associated Press story on the NPR website --->>>
