Rival factions of the Gulf Cartel continue to clash in the border city of Reynosa, leading to shootouts and street blockades. In many gunfights, state authorities are the first to respond while the specifically tasked National Guard and military demonstrate a pattern of arriving only until the shooting has ended.

For several weeks, residents in the eastern part of the city documented clashes via social media as one faction from Matamoros (Escorpiones or Ciclones) tries to take turf from the Reynosa faction, known as Los Metros. The continuous incursions are largely affecting areas near manufacturing plants and the Reynosa-Pharr International Bridge.

On Sunday, citizen journalists and local news outlets reported on a large shootout lasting longer than an hour. By Sunday evening, the Tamaulipas government took to social media claiming that such a shootout did not occur. The denial is rare since cartel clashes are regularly acknowledged by state officials. This time, authorities claimed there were no reports, official video footage, or police statements about the episode.

On Christmas Day, two police officers were injured in separate clashes, El Manana de Reynosa reported. In those two shootings, cartel gunmen carried out ambushes.

In the past, cartel gunmen used blockades to cause traffic jams, slowing police and military response times. For the blockades, gunmen routinely steal tractor trailers or buses at gunpoint and then park them across busy streets or intersections. On Sunday, cartel gunmen also threw makeshift road spikes to cause congestion.

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.     

“J.C. Sanchez”  from Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project contributed to this report