72 Bodies Found at Northern Mexico Ranch

(Aug. 25) --The bodies of 72 people have been found dumped at a ranch in northern Mexico after a shootout between troops and suspected drug traffickers left one marine and three gunmen dead, the military says.

The corpses of 58 men and 14 women were discovered Tuesday above ground near San Fernando, in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, after a wounded man approached a military checkpoint and said he had been attacked at the ranch by drug cartel gunmen.

The Mexican navy said it was one of the biggest discoveries of dumped bodies since a contentious war on drug cartels was launched four years ago by President Felipe Calderon, CNN reported.

The gunfight broke out when marines, backed by an aerial assault, arrived at the ranch and the suspected drug traffickers tried to flee.

A minor believed to be a drug gang member was taken into custody, and a large cache of weapons and ammunition was seized, along with four vehicles disguised to look as if they belonged to the Ministry of Defense, the navy said.

Ranches, vacant lots and mine shafts are often used by the cartels to dump the bodies of their victims, according to The Associated Press. It added that it was not clear if those found after the shootout were killed at the same time or separately, and no identities were released.

According to a navy officer who spoke to CNN, the bodies were found inside a structure on the ranch.

"The federal government strongly condemns the barbaric acts committed by criminal organizations and reaffirms its commitment to the rule of law," the navy said in a statement. "The whole society must condemn such acts, which illustrate the absolute need to continue fighting crime in the strongest terms by the Mexican state to achieve the peace we demand."

Some 28,000 people have died since Calderon launched his military war on the cartels, which use Mexico's northern regions to smuggle drugs fetching hundreds of millions of dollars into the U.S.

Despite Calderon's stated commitment to continue the war, there is growing opposition from business interests concerned that the violence, often between competing gangs, is scaring tourists away.

In July, 51 bodies were found buried near the northern city of Monterrey, and in June 55 corpses were uncovered in the southern state of Guerrero. Over the weekend, four decapitated bodies were found hanging from a bridge outside Mexico City.

Calderon defended his policy on Tuesday, The Daily Telegraph reported, telling a radio station, "I don't rule out that there might be more bouts of the violence we're witnessing, and what's more, the victory we are seeking and will gain is unthinkable without more violence."

He added, "This is a process of self-destruction for the criminals."