Mexican police chopper forced to land by gunfire

Published May 25, 2011

Mexico City – A Federal Police helicopter was forced to land in western Mexico when it was "attacked with gunfire by suspected members of an organized crime group," a Public Safety Secretariat spokesman told Efe on Wednesday.

The attack happened in Apatzingan, a city in Michoacan state, but "the aircraft's stability was never at risk," the spokesman said.

The incident happened over an area of rough terrain and the pilot decided to make an emergency landing "to prevent any kind of mishap," the spokesman said.

The helicopter landed in Vicente Guerrero, a community located about six kilometers (3.7 miles) from the place where the incident occurred.

At least six officers were traveling in the helicopter and two of them were injured and "immediately taken to get medical attention, and they are out of danger," the spokesman said.

The helicopter was taking part in "patrol, enforcement and tactical support activities," the spokesman said, adding that he could not confirm whether the aircraft was actually hit.

Federal Police officers and army troops are guarding the helicopter.

The federal government has deployed police and army troops in Michoacan to fight the drug traffickers operating in the state.

Michoacan is home to the La Familia Michoacana cartel, which reportedly dissolved, and the Caballeros Templarios gang.

The gangs that operate in the state are mostly involved in drug trafficking, but they also carry out kidnappings and run extortion rackets.

A total of 15,270 people died in drug-related violence in Mexico last year, and nearly 40,000 people have died since President Felipe Calderon declared war on the country's cartels shortly after taking office in December 2006.

Calderon has deployed tens of thousands of soldiers and Federal Police officers across the country to combat drug cartels and other criminal organizations.

The anti-drug operation, however, has failed to put a dent in the violence due, according to experts, to drug cartels' ability to buy off the police and even high-ranking officials.

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