MCALLEN, Texas — Gulf Cartel gunmen fired what are believed to be AK-47s or similar weapons at U.S. Border Patrol agents on the Rio Grande. None were injured.
The shooting took place early Friday morning just south of Fronton, Texas. The agents were not struck by the gunfire, however, their boat was hit several times. The U.S. Border Patrol RGV Sector Office confirmed the incident to Breitbart Texas and advised it would issue additional information throughout the day.
Mexican authorities responded to the area after they received notification from the U.S. government about a shooting just west of Los Guerra, a Tamaulipas law enforcement source revealed to Breitbart Texas. Mexican authorities were not able to find any gunmen but did find “signs of activity.”
The area south of Fronton is a known smuggling corridor for the Gulf Cartel that is seeing an escalation of violence as rival factions continue to fight for turf. This week, rival convoys not far Camargo shot two innocent victims in a passenger bus.
Statement from U.S. Border Patrol:
Early this morning, agents assigned to the Rio Grande City Station Marine Unit patrolling near Fronton, Texas, reported they were fired upon from the Mexican riverbank. Agents saw four subjects with automatic weapons who shot over 50 rounds at them. The boat was hit several times but no one on board was injured.
This is a developing story.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.