Drugs violence hits Mexico after cartel arrests

Suspected members of Mexico's La Familia drug gang have launched violent reprisals following the arrest of two local leaders of the cartel in the colonial city of Morelia, in Western Mexico.

Shortly after authorities announced the capture of Luis Manuel Pena and Emmanuel Sanchez, men suspected of belonging to the La Familia cartel unleashed a wave of violence in Morelia, setting fire to cars and buildings, and blocking highways and major thoroughfares around the city.

Local media reported that gang members also fired at police around the city and set fire to gas stations by throwing molotov cocktails.

Cars burnt in the streets and a large burning truck blocking a major highway causing drivers to abandon their cars out of fear of attack.

The arrest of the two cartel leaders that triggered the synchronised attacks took place at a restaurant in Patzcuaro, some 60 kilometres outside of Morelia.

The violence in Morelia came on the same night as Mexican marines killed drug baron Ezequiel "Tony Tormenta" Cardenas, the leader of the Gulf Cartel, in a ferocious gunfight at the U.S. border. The killing of Cardenas is seen as a fleeting victory for President Felipe Calderon, although it is unlikely to quell raging violence.

"La Familia" are a cult-like drug cartel, defying Calderon in his home state of Michoacan taking over smuggling and taking on security forces with a menacing mix of violence, pseudo-religion and gifts for the poor.

More than 31,000 people have been killed across Mexico since December 2006, when Calderon took office and launched his army-led crackdown. The government is under increasing pressure to contain the burgeoning death toll across the country.