Three Mexican Cops Killed By Suspected Cartel Car Bomb

Three police officers in Mexico died during an explosion allegedly caused by a car bomb during an apparent cartel attack.

The incident happened Sunday morning near the town of La Pila in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi. According to information released by the San Luis Attorney General’s Office, investigators have managed to track down one of the gunmen suspected of having taken part in the attack.

Mexican authorities have not released details of the attack where the three officers died. Local news outlets reported that the officers responded to calls about an abandoned vehicle on the side of the road and several road spikes thrown in the vicinity. When authorities responded to the scene, the vehicle allegedly exploded.

A second version of events provided to Breitbart Texas by local journalists points to a group of police officers chasing a group tied to large-scale fuel theft. During the pursuit, both sides exchanged gunfire and one of the rounds is believed to have struck one of the fuel tanks, causing a large explosion. Mexican government officials have not provided details confirming either version.

Law enforcement sources consulted by Breitbart Texas revealed that two officers died at the scene. A third officer died hours later at a local hospital. Law enforcement sources provided Breitbart Texas the following names of the fallen officers:

• Francisco Salazar Santos
• Michelle Guadalupe Stevens Martínez
• Mariano Martínez Bautista

The deadly attack on police forces comes at a time when Mexico’s federal government continues to claim that crime is down by using doctored statistics. The claims are an attempt to counter the constant pressure from the United States government about Mexico not doing enough to fight drug cartels.