12 Mexican Cops Held in Ambush on US Embassy Car

A dozen Mexican federal police officers who riddled a US Embassy car with bullets on Friday are being held while they are investigated on charges including attempted murder, CNN reports. Two American citizens employed by the embassy were injured in the shooting south of Mexico City, as was a member of the Mexican Navy who was with them in the vehicle. The embassy SUV had diplomatic plates, and US authorities have described the attack as an ambush, reports AFP.

The diplomatic vehicle was headed for a naval installation when it was approached by a vehicle whose occupants brandished weapons, according to a statement from the Mexican Navy. "The driver of the diplomatic vehicle used evasive maneuvers, and when it returned on the highway, the passengers in the attacking vehicle opened fire on the diplomatic vehicle," and the attackers were joined by three other vehicles, the statement said. A lawyer for the detained officers says police were investigating a kidnapping when they encountered the embassy vehicle, which ignored orders to stop. (More Mexico stories.)