Eight People Killed in More Jalisco State Cartel Violence

At least eight people died in a shootout between Mexican federal police and suspected gang members in the troubled western state of Jalisco, a government official said on Tuesday.

The gunfight took place on Monday in the municipality of Villa Purificacion, where members of the Jalisco New Generation (JNG) cartel shot down an army helicopter on May 1, killing six military personnel on a day of clashes that claimed 15 lives.

"At the moment, we've got eight civilians killed," said the federal official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The JNG, a major methamphetamine smuggler, has grown in stature as . . .