Shootout, blockades reported in Matamoros

Photo: MrCruzstar

by Sergio Chapa
Valley Central

Authorities in Matamoros are urging caution following reports of a shootout and blockades in the southwest area of the city.

Residents used the #Matamoros channel of Twitter to report gunfire in the southwest area of the city around 11:29 a.m. Thursday.

City officials confirmed on their Facebook page that a "situation of danger" was taking place near an S-Mart store in the Colonia Quinta Real.

Details were not immediately available but residents reported on Twitter that the shootout was between marines and gunmen.

Action 4 News spoke to authorities who confirmed that there were no reports of casualties or wounded as of 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

Blockades

Residents have started to report gunfire and blockades in adjacent neighborhoods such as the Colonia Puerto Rico and Fraccionamiento Hacienda del Puente.

One Twitter user posted photos showing how a blockade in front of the Soriana store next to the Laguneta tied up traffic on Avenida Rigo Tovar.

The busy roadway links downtown Matamoros to the highway to Reynosa and a loop which wraps around the city.

Residents React

Many residents used Twitter to express their frustration with constant gun battles in Matamoros.

"The shootouts always used to happen on Fridays and now they're on Thursdays," wrote on Twitter user in Spanish.

Another Twitter user wrote, "We continue to pray for peace to return to our city."

Others wrote on Facebook that they were surprised Matamoros city officials posted a warning because they have not issued them consistently during previous shootouts.

"It's a miracle that they're informing the people," one person wrote. "This speaks well of our government."

One resident reported that a shoot out took place in her neighborhood.

"It was horrible," she wrote on Facebook. "There were behind my house."

Latest Violence

The Thursday afternoon shootout and blockades are the latest round of violence in Matamoros.

The city is beleaguered in conflicts between rival drug trafficking organizations but also shootouts between the Mexican military and drug traffickers.

Today's violence comes following a July 2nd gun battle that claimed the life of Catholic Priest Marco Antonio Duran, who was killed in the crossfire.

No arrests were made in the death of Father Duran.
Photo: MrCruzstar