Cartel Gunmen Ambush Police in Mexico near Texas Border

REYNOSA, Tamaulipas — Fear and chaos returned to Reynosa as cartel gunmen began a series of attacks targeting Tamaulipas State Police. The attacks killed one officer as cartel fighters seek revenge for the capture of a leader.

This week, Gulf Cartel gunmen kicked off their onslaught of attacks targeting police officers. In one ambush, cartel gunmen managed to kill Tamaulipas State Police Officer Carlos Alfredo Diaz Perez. The fallen officer was part of a convoy responding to reports of gunfire in the Puerta del Sol neighborhood. As authorities responded, they were met with an overwhelming number of cartel gunmen. An innocent bystander was also seriously injured by a stray bullet. 

On the day the attacks began, cartel gunmen and police forces clashed in 10 separate shootouts or chases. The escalation of violence appears to be a direct result of the recent capture of Luis Miguel “Flako Sierra” Gonzalez Mercado, the regional leader of the Gulf Cartel in the area. The capture came soon after authorities kicked off an intelligence-sharing operation with various U.S. federal law enforcement agencies and also offered a cash reward for his capture.

Law enforcement sources in Tamaulipas revealed that the Gulf Cartel faction in Reynosa, known as “Los Metros,” is stockpiling stolen vehicles in preparation for continued violence from a rival cartel faction from Matamoros. Both factions are fighting for control of Reynosa for more than a year with at least 500 murders registered thus far.

Editor’s Note: Breitbart Texas traveled to the Mexican States of Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Nuevo León 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 “A.C. Del Angel” from Tamaulipas.