Graphic: 6 Cartel Gunmen Burned Alive in Mexican Border City

Breitbart Texas traveled to the Mexican States of Tamaulipas and Coahuila 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 various cartels that operate in those areas including the Gulf Cartel and Los Zetas 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 “M.A. Navarro” from Ciudad Victoria. 

NUEVO LAREDO, Tamaulipas — Six members of the highly feared Los Zetas drug cartel were burned alive in their vehicle after a grenade exploded inside the SUV. The incident occurred following a rolling gun battle with authorities in this border city.

The gun battle took place Saturday morning when a group of six cartel gunmen riding in an SUV were trying to escape from Mexican authorities. Residents from the Juarez neighborhood reported hearing gunfire during the pursuit.

Nuevo Laredo is a border city just south of Laredo, Texas, that plays a large role in the import and export of goods for the manufacturing industry. The area is also considered to be the home turf of the Los Zetas drug cartel.

It was in that Juarez neighborhood that for unknown reasons the SUV used by the Los Zetas gunmen crashed into the wall of a home. Inside the vehicle, a grenade went off starting a massive fire that rapidly engulfed the vehicle and the six gunmen were burned alive. Two other vehicles also became fully engulfed in the fire, which also damaged the house as well. Grenades are generally one of the diversionary measures used by cartel members to cause mass panic on a rival’s turf or in fierce gun battles. In this case it appears that the explosive device was likely to be used in an effort to slow down authorities.  

Once the fire was extinguished, emergency responders and authorities working the crime scene placed the charred remains of the six gunmen on a tarp in the street as they went through the vehicle gathering what was left of the weapons.

The Tamaulipas government has remained silent and has not released any public information as to the events prior to or during the fatal gun battle. It remains unclear if the Los Zetas gunmen were going to or coming from another gun battle. However, they were wearing full tactical gear including body armor and military style helmets.