Mexico - Gunmen in armored vehicles ambushed and killed a minimum of 13 police officers in Mexico. Suspected members of a drug cartel, armed with sniper rifles, AR-15s, and AK-47 assault weapons, carried out the attack, injuring nine other officers.

This violent incident unfolded in El Aguaje, a town located in the Aguililla region of Michoacan state, where drug cartel-related violence has surged in recent months.

Governor Silvano Aureoles affirmed, "No attack on the police will go unpunished, and this was a cowardly, treacherous attack as they set up an ambush along the road."

Security forces at both federal and state levels have established roadblocks in the "hot lands" of western Mexico as they intensively search for the perpetrators.

Photographs circulated in Mexican media revealed vehicles ablaze on a road and messages seemingly signed by Jalisco New Generation, one of Mexico's most influential and emerging cartels.

This recent surge in violence in Michoacan, a state notable for its avocado production, evokes memories of the deadliest years of Mexico's war against drug cartels, which occurred from 2006 to 2012.

In August, authorities discovered 19 bodies in Uruapan, including nine displayed on a bridge. On the same day, approximately 45 miles north of Aguililla, fierce confrontations erupted between Jalisco New Generation members and local self-defense groups.

Michoacan has been historically recognized for its marijuana plantations and methamphetamine production. The local port of Lázaro Cárdenas serves as a crucial entry point for chemicals used in the manufacturing of synthetic drugs.