GOPES Kill Cartel Hitman & Secure Two Vehicles, Reynosa, Tamps

"HEARST" for Borderland Beat 

A shootout between an organized crime group and members of the Special Operations Group (GOPES) left one cartel gunman dead and two vehicles seized. Families living in western Reynosa, Tamaulipas grew alarmed when State helicopters and armored vehicles of the federal and state security forces were deployed as a part of this shootout.

At 6:45 pm on August 19, 2021, elements of the Special Operations Group (GOPES) were conducting a surveillance patrol while inside their GOPES armored vehicles in the Loma Real neighborhood of Reynosa, Tamaulipas when they surprised a convoy of SUVs full of armed men. 

When the armed men saw the GOPES vehicles, they sped away in their convoy which led to a vehicle chase with GOPES and supporting elements of the State Police giving chase to the convoy. The pursuit began in the Loma Real neighborhood and then continued to the Ventura neighborhood, traveling along the Viaducto highway. 

While responding, a female officer from the State Police was injured when her patrol car was hit by a vehicle at the intersection of Puerta Sur Avenue and Viaducto. Her State Police patrol unit were on their way to provide support and were rammed by a pickup truck at the intersection who had evidently not observed that several patrol cars were whizzing by with sirens and turrets on. Based on the current versions of events, this seems like an uninvolved, unwitting accident that occurred when the driver did not respect a fixed stop sign, unaware that the state patrol car had the green light and right of way. 

When other personnel of the GOPES and State Police managed to catch up with the SUV convoy at the intersection of Bugambilia Avenue and Viaducto, a shootout broke out. One cartel gunman was observed to go down from the firefight between the two groups. 

Meanwhile other armed men fled on foot, running between houses in order to avoid capture. This led to the responding units to call in the presence of a Public Security Secretariat helicopter in order to hopefully spot some of the fleeing men however no arrests have been announced related to this incident so it is presumed that the helicopter team’s search was ultimately unsuccessful. 

The dead body of the armed man who fell during the shootout was found next to a black Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV. He was found to have been dressed in black and still wearing some tactical clothing. The Grand Cherokee was seized and later found to have a theft report.

At the scene, state authorities also seized a recent model black Chevrolet Tahoe SUV, also with a theft report, and several firearms, the quantity of which had not been specified at the time of the writing of this story. Forensic Medical Service personnel arrived on scene to remove the body and was taken away for autopsy and admitted as unidentified pending further investigation.

Warning: Graphic photo below this point.

Sources: El Manana, Hoy Tamaulipas, Noticias24 Hours, FRV24 

Photo Credit: El Guzman on Twitter