At least 14 people died on Wednesday in a series of clashes between gunmen and federal police in Michoacan state, a western area that has seen a surge of violence in recent years attributed to drug cartels, authorities said. Federal police said in a statement the first gun battle began when officers aboard a helicopter spotted armed men travelling in four vehicles in the town of Gabriel Zamora. The gunmen opened fire on the agents, who shot back and killed five assailants, the statement said. It said one of those killed was high in the leadership structure of a Michoacan-based drug cartel, but didn’t identify the group.