At least 13 killed in Matamoros gun battles

Borderland Beat

Officials in northern Mexico say at least 13 people have been killed in three separate clashes between Mexican marines and gunmen in the border city of Matamoros.

 

Matamoros is across the border from Brownsville, Texas, and is in an area that is being fought over by the rival Gulf and Zetas drug cartels.

 

The government of Tamaulipas state says the three gun battles occurred Sunday afternoon when gunmen attacked troops in different parts of Matamoros. Its statement describes the attackers only as "armed civilians"

 

Officials say one woman was among the 13 dead civilians. No marine casualties have been reported.

 

Three separate confrontations occurred today in Matamoros.  Zetas and CDG cartels have been engaged in fighting for the plaza.  Official number of dead is at 13.

Confrontation 1:

At kilometer 12 of the Matamoros-Reynosa Highway, near colonia Esperanza shortly before 12 noon. 

5 dead four males and one female

Confrontation 2:

At kilometer 2 on the Matamoros-Reynosa Highway, at La Jotoba.  This occurred at 16:05 hours. 

4 dead, all males

Confrontation 3:

On Avenida El Niño, at 16:20 when elements of the Marina ordered a vehicle carrying armed gunmen le to stop.  Instead of stopping the gunmen open fire, provoking a shootout which killed four of the attackers. All male.

Federal prosecutors confiscated vehicles, weapons, various chargers and "many rounds of different calibers" plus tactical equipment.

Tamaulipas, which borders the United States, is a center of the struggle between the Gulf Cartel and the criminal group Los Zetas , for control of routes for the smuggling of drugs into the United States.

CODE 900

 

Matamoros Tamaulipas. - After reports of shootouts This Morning, lasting  around 6 hours, , reports of young men being recruited in different parts of the city Began appearing in social media outlets, of which They reported to the code "900."

An armed group Identified as "The Cyclone" refuses to turn over its weapons and leave the plaza. Their members were chased by gunmen of "Commander 900", the same of CDG cartel, from Reynosa and Rio Bravo, that are fighting the Matamoros plaza.

The violence Continues and now the "900" is recruiting young men in preparation for another confrontation.   Some youth were picked up forcefully, 4 were taken from a bus stop.