Mexican Soldiers Kill 25 Suspected Members of Los Zetas Cartel

(Sept. 3) -- Los Zetas, a suspected Mexican drug cartel, may have taken a major hit amid the growing violence in the northeastern section of the country. Authorities believe that at least 25 members of the ruthless organization were killed in a gunbattle with soldiers, according to reports.

Only two soldiers were wounded.

A military surveillance plane flying over Ciudad Mier in Tamaulipas state spotted armed men Thursday, The Associated Press reported. The bloody fight ensued. The military rescued three people believed to be kidnapping victims, as well as seizing rifles, grenades and ammunition.

Authorities said the men were on property believed to be controlled by Los Zetas, a group that began as hitmen for the drug cartels and is now in business for itself.

"The Zetas are involved in continual bloody conflicts," George Grayson, a professor of government at the College of William & Mary told AOL News. "They're fighting against three cartels, plus the army."

Violence in the northeastern part of Mexico has surged as cartels seek to expand their drug smuggling and enter new areas such as people-trafficking.

Last week, authorities uncovered a mass grave in Tamaulipas. It contained the bodies of 72 Central Americans believed to have been killed by the Zetas. Drug cartels frequently demand payment from those looking to cross illegally into the United States.

"No one is too poor or too rich to be attacked by the Zetas," Grayson told AOL News.

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Mexican drug cartels make billions of dollars each year smuggling drugs including marijuana and cocaine into the United States.

When President Felipe Calderon came to power in 2006, he sent the military to battle the cartels. Since then, more than 28,000 people have been killed, and there have been claims of human rights abuses against the military.

Thursday's killings came on the same day that Calderon delivered his state of the union address, in which he praised the efforts of the military and urged renewed effort against the cartels.

"I say with absolute certainty, it is possible to defeat the criminals," Calderon said, according to the Los Angeles Times.