Mexican President AMLO Avoids ‘Terrorism’ Label for Gulf Cartel Attack Killing 15 in Border City

Days after Gulf Cartel gunmen killed 15 innocent civilians last week, Tamaulipas state congressmen moved to call the attack terrorism while Mexico’s President is avoiding the term over expressed fears of international interference.

Last week, Gulf Cartel gunmen entered Reynosa, Tamaulipas, from the east and carried out attacks targeting civilians, killing 15. While Tamaulipas state police rushed to the scene for a clash, Mexico’s National Guard and Army did not respond until after to help secure the perimeter.

Since then, the border cities of Reynosa and Rio Bravo have seen daily shootouts as state police try to crack down on cartel activities in the area. Authorities have arrested nearly 20 gunmen and several key commanders all connected to the terrorist attack.

In the aftermath, Tamaulipas State Congressmen called the incident a terrorist attack, claiming such an action carries a sentence of up to 40 years in prison. Congressman Edmundo Maron Manzur called for a unified front against cartels, saying that the people in Tamaulipas do not want to go back in time.

“We don’t want to go back to the past, where criminals took over the cities and highways of the state,” he said. “Just remember five years ago, this state was ruled by shootouts, kidnappings, and extortion–we couldn’t travel without fear.”

The push by the Tamaulipas politicians to label the attacks as terrorism is fiercely rejected by Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who publicly said the label should not be used.

“We cannot talk lightly about ‘terrorism’ as some would like because that gives way to some foreign governments interfering in Mexican affairs,” Lopez Obrador said.

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.