"The vehicle attempted to escape, was pursued and sustained heavy damage," the statement said. "They called for assistance from the Mexican armed forces, who responded. The two U.S. wounded personnel were taken from the scene, given medical treatment and are in stable condition. The Mexican Navy captain sustained no serious injuries."
The Mexican government said those members of the federal police who fired on the vehicle have been detained, the U.S. Embassy statement said.
It added that the Mexican government "has stated it will conduct a full and thorough investigation of this incident."
Also Friday, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, "We are working with Mexican authorities to investigate an incident this morning in which two employees of our embassy in Mexico City came under attack by unknown assailants. They are receiving appropriate medical care and are in stable condition. We have no further information to share at this time."
At Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters in Washington, a spokeswoman said the agency was not involved in the case.
The long-term impact of the shooting will depend on how aggressively the Mexican government pursues the investigation, said Sylvia Longmire, a drug war cartel analyst and author of "Cartel: the Coming Invasion of Mexico's Drug Wars."
"I'm somewhat skeptical that anyone will be brought to justice in this attack," she told CNN Saturday. "Remember, nobody knows who shot the Americans. They're still going to have to do ballistic reports."
Though federal police have a reputation for being among the least corrupt of Mexico's security forces, "I'm concerned that there is a potential for this to get swept under the rug," she said.
