Gulf Cartel gunmen killed one female Mexican state police officer and injured another in a shootout during a kidnapping bust, just miles south of the Texas border. The abduction was tied to the smuggling of migrants into the U.S.
The shootout took place on Sunday afternoon on the south side of Reynosa, where Tamaulipas police were on patrol.
Gulf Cartel gunmen in three SUVs exiting a dirt road were spotted prior to the shootout. The police called for backup, but the gunfire killed a female officer and injured a second. A third officer was spared completely. When police backup responded, the gunmen tried to flee and left behind two vehicles containing weapons and tactical gear.
In one of the cartel vehicles, authorities found a kidnapping victim. The victim told police that he was a human smuggler who paid protection to the Gulf Cartel. It remains unclear why he was kidnapped.
Tamaulipas State Governor Francisco Garcia Cabeza de Vaca took to social media to confirm the line of duty death for the officer.
“Sadly with actions like this, it is corroborated that the trafficking of migrants to the northern border continues to be one of the main activities of criminal organizations,” the Tamaulipas government explained in a prepared statement.
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.
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