ACAPULCO, MEXICO - MARCH 03: A Mexican soldier takes notes at a suspected drug-related murder site late March 3, 2012 in Acapulco, Mexico. A forensics team excavated five corpses from the floor of an abandoned house. Officials said the five victims were apparently buried alive in concrete. Drug violence has surged in the coastal resort in the last year, making Acapulco the second most deadly city in Mexico after Juarez. One of Mexico's top tourist destinations, Acapulco has suffered a drop in business, especially from foreign tourists, due to the violence. Toursim accounts for about 70 percent of the economy of Acapulco's state of Guerrero and 9 percent of Mexico's economy. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) (2012 Getty Images)
Mexican marines announced they detained a unique band of drug traffickers including 12 boys and a woman with a baby who possessed rifles, grenade launchers and drugs.
A navy statement issued Wednesday says the 18 people were caught on New Year’s Eve in the town of La Estacion in the northern state of Zacatecas. It alleges they were carrying nine rifles, two pistols, two grenade launchers and packets of marijuana and cocaine.
The navy says the lone woman in the group was carrying a baby girl. It doesn’t say what authorities did with the baby.
Twelve of the 17 male suspects are said to be minors. Drug cartels often hire youths to work for them and many have been arrested since the government launched its offensive against traffickers.
Recently, armed men stormed into a quinceañera in the northern Mexico city of Monterrey, killing one man and injuring 11 guests. An official said the birthday girl was not injured in the attack.
Monterrey has been the scene of bloody turf battles between the Zetas and Gulf cartels.
Previously, four gunmen who apparently wanted to steal the body of a Zetas cartel chieftain killed by the military earlier this week in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz were themselves killed by Mexican marines.
Based on reporting by the Associated Press.
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