Mexican government officials sought to downplay a massive cartel shootout that lasted several hours in the border city of Nuevo Laredo in Tamaulipas state. The shootout prompted a security alert from the U.S. consulate in that city.
Gunfights broke out Saturday night and continued throughout Nuevo Laredo into Sunday morning. The gunfight began on the city's west side when a convoy of Mexican soldiers on a series of security patrols encountered gunmen from the Los Zetas Cartel del Norest faction.
The soldiers tried to intercept the gunmen, but gunfire began as additional gunmen began mobilizing across the city, setting up barricades and providing additional support. At the same time, the military also counterattacked and called for support.
The fighting quickly spread throughout the city, and the U.S. Consulate General in Nuevo Laredo issued a security alert and asked all staff to shelter in place. The shelter-in-place order lasted about eight hours, with gunmen and soldiers chasing each other throughout the city.
In the aftermath of the gunfight, Tamaulipas state government security spokesman Jorge Cuellar claimed that only three people were injured in the “isolated incident” and that no one was killed. The official's claim is false, as sources within Tamaulipas state police and the Mexican military indicate that at least three gunmen were killed and several arrested.
As Breitbart Texas reported, Cuellar has a history of concealing information about violence in Tamaulipas and lying to claim the state is safe. He is the same public official who argued that the U.S. Consulate General in Matamoros made a mistake in issuing a travel warning regarding a kidnapping on a passenger bus near the border city of Reynosa.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist at Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Breitbart, Texas Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Breitbart's senior management team. you can follow him Twitter And even more facebook. He can be reached at the following address: [email protected].
Brandon Darby is managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Breitbart, Texas Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Breitbart's senior management team. please follow him Twitter and facebook. He can be contacted at: [email protected].