Eight migrants wounded in shootout in Mexican desert

MEXICO CITY - Vehicles carrying Latin Americans trying to illegally enter the United States were shot at in the desert near the border city of Mexicali, leaving eight migrants wounded, newspapers reported Saturday.\nThe sports utility vehicles were carrying 23 people when the firing began Friday, the Baja California newspapers El Mexicano and Frontera said.\nThe papers said the immigrant smugglers - possibly traveling in two vehicles - had been seen by U.S. officials as they were trying to cross into the United States.\nThe vehicles then turned around and headed back into Mexico where they were challenged by a Mexican army patrol, they said.