REYNOSA, Tamaulipas – State police officers in Mexico rescued three kidnapping victims after a shootout with suspected cartel gunmen in the border city of Reynosa.
The rescue took place early on Friday morning when Tamaulipas state police officers patrolling the central part of the city spotted a sand-colored SUV carrying suspected gunmen. The officers attempted to pull over the vehicle. Rather than stop, the gunmen sped away leading authorities in a chase. During the chase, the gunmen fired at police with AK-47 rifles setting off a short but intense gun battle.
The gunmen fired several rounds into the police vehicle forcing them to slow down as the gunmen pulled away. The gunmen were then able to leave the vehicle and run away. When police officers reached the vehicle they found a wounded woman and two men in the vehicle. The three individuals were handcuffed and are believed to have been kidnapping victims. The victims were taken to a local hospital.
The shootout and kidnapping come at a time when the border city of Reynosa faces a continuing spike in armed robberies and high-impact crimes. Officials attribute the crime wave to a cash shortage in the Reynosa faction of the Gulf Cartel. The criminal organization is linked to numerous carjackings, armed robberies, kidnappings, and extortions. The lack of funds is tied not only to smuggling activities but also to the expense of two long-term turf wars — one to the east with a rival faction of the Gulf Cartel from Matamoros and one to the west with the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas.
The shootouts with the CDN-Los Zetas do not take place in Reynosa, but further west near Miguel Aleman and surrounding areas. The shootouts with the Matamoros faction of the Gulf Cartel routinely take place in the east side of Reynosa, near the Pharr International Bridge, and the international airport.
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 “J.C. Sanchez” from Tamaulipas.
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