Breitbart Texas traveled to the Mexican border cities of Reynosa and Matamoros to recruit citizen journalists willing to risk their lives and expose the cartels silencing their communities. The writers would face certain death at the hands of the Gulf Cartel if a pseudonym were not used. Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles are published in both English and in their original Spanish. This article was written by Matamoros’ “JA Espinoza.”
MATAMOROS, Tamaulipas — Mexican officials continue their silence days after two days of shootouts and high speed pursuits have caused commotion in this border city.
The violence began Monday evening where for around three hours cartel members engaged in shootouts, pursuits and blockades on the city’s eastern side. The violence continued on Tuesday around many of the city’s surrounding areas. In the days after the shooting Tamaulipas state officials have remained quiet.
Despite the silence around shootouts, officials with the Tamaulipas government have been actively promoting and reporting on a Fall Festival being held statewide including various events in this border city.
Following the lack of official information or acknowledgement of the violence by authorities, citizen journalists have taken to social media in an effort to warn each other about the dangers. On the two days of shootouts, citizen’s journalists provided each other with key locations of where the violence was taking place in an effort to keep residents from stumbling into firefights or other violent acts.
According to the information shared by social media users, the shootouts began shortly after 8 p.m. when cartel members and Mexican federal authorities clashed on the city streets. As the messages began to be sent out, the city came to a standstill as residents remained indoors.
The anonymous messages stated “avoid Lauro Villar Avenue from Soriana (supermarket) by Los Tomates Bridge to the beach including Campestre del Rio and Revolucion Verde as well as the ejidos (rural communities) on the way to the beach.”
Additional military forces were mobilized throughout the city which resulted in various chases as authorities worked to re-establish the peace. Two helicopters provided air support to a group of Mexican soldiers who were battling cartel gunmen on the various streets around Avenida Del Norte not far from Veteran’s International Bridge.
Near the intersection of Periferico and Del Nino Avenues, authorities and gunmen got into another shootout. Despite the silence by authorities, Cartel Chronicles have confirmed that two gunmen were killed in that particular clash.
During the ongoing clashes, citizen journalists reported seeing five SUV’s with gunmen speeding from the city’s north side to the west side with flashing light similar to those used by police.
In addition to the multiple blockades throughout the city, citizens also reported seeing convoys of gunmen driving around the outskirts of the city headed towards Matamoros.
The silence by Tamaulipas authorities comes at a time when Cartel Chronicles has reported on a series of operations where cartel bosses have been arrested, however officials take a cash bribe and cut them loose. It remains unclear if a similar operation took place in Matamoros.
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