The mayor of a Mexican border city remains silent after large-scale shootouts prompted the U.S. Consulate General to issue local security warnings.
The violence began on Thursday afternoon in south-central Matamoros, where at least one gunman with the Gulf Cartel died during shootouts which spread terror among locals. The gunfights damaged vehicles as fleeing shooters fired wildly between automotive crashes. Law enforcement sources revealed to Breitbart Texas that no innocent bystanders or motorists were injured or killed.
Information provided to Breitbart Texas by Tamaulipas law enforcement sources revealed that at around 4:30 PM, they received information about cartel gunmen in several parts of the city. Mexico’s Navy, Army, and state police moved out to intercept the gunmen, which set off a shootout and chase along some of the city’s main avenues. The initial clash ended in the Chapultepec neighborhood, east of the city’s largest shopping mall. There, authorities killed one Gulf Cartel gunman who wore body armor and patches identifying him as part of the “Belikos” strike team.
The intensity of the shootout prompted the U.S. Consulate General in Matamoros to issue warnings on social media.
Leticia Salazar, a former mayor of Matamoros, also warned residents about the shootout.
Mayor Mario “La Borrega” Lopez did not issue any warnings and has avoided any public comments since the shootout.
After the initial clash, police and military personnel continued patrolling the city and flew helicopters for air surveillance. In the evening, smaller clashes took place in other parts of the city along Avenida Del Nino and Avenida Portes Gil.
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.A. Espinoza” and “J.C. Sanchez” from Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project contributed to this report.