Mexican authorities say two police officers and a medical technician are dead after a car rammed two police vehicles in what authorities say was retaliation for the arrest of a drug cartel leader.
Police said the attack Thursday in the violent border town of Ciudad Juarez was a direct response to the arrest earlier in the day of Jesus Acosta Guerrero, a senior gang member linked to the Juarez cartel.
Authorities say the attack caused an explosion, leaving the vehicles badly damaged. The Associated Press news agency reports the car may have been packed with explosives or inflammable material.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon has deployed thousands of soldiers nationwide to fight drug gangs since taking office in 2006. At least 23,000 people have been killed in drug-related violence since the president began cracking down on the cartels.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.