Cartel gunmen tried to shoot down a Mexican military helicopter at a clandestine camp in Nuevo Leon. Five gunmen died and the aircraft was not seriously damaged.
The clash took place over the weekend in a rural area near the town of Doctor Coss. According to a U.S. law enforcement source operating in Mexico, the shootout took place at coordinates 26°02’14.6”N / 98°58’52.2”W, where a Mexican Army helicopter was conducting surveillance operations, approximately 24 miles south of the border with Texas.
The gunmen, believed to be part of the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas, began shooting at the helicopter with a .50 caliber and AK-47 rifles to keep the chopper away from their camp. The helicopter took evasive actions and radioed for support, leading troops to the scene.
Military vehicles stormed the cartel campsite, killing five gunmen while the rest managed to escape. Authorities seized one .50 caliber rifle and four AK-47 rifles. The troops also found several tents and food items.
The camp is consistent with a pattern of operations by CDN-Los Zetas to carefully occupy areas once controlled by the Gulf Cartel. Two commanders known as “El Amarillo” and Ricky Chapa were revealed to be supplying troops at the different turf fronts. As part of their strategy, the cartel uses armored vehicles and explosives.
Gerald “Tony” Aranda is a contributing writer for Breitbart Texas.
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