Aiexpress – Mexican troops engaged in a confrontation near the U.S. border in Tamaulipas and successfully neutralized 12 armed individuals, as reported by the government of the northeastern state. This region has been plagued by violence associated with organized crime. The individuals who were killed during the clash were identified as suspected members of a drug cartel, according to government sources.
According to Tamaulipas’s spokesperson for security, the shootout took place while soldiers were patrolling Miguel Aleman municipality on the border with the United States.
According to reports, armed civilians hiding in the bush attacked members of the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena) at approximately 2 pm local time.
Twelve attackers were killed in the fight, and troops took “12 long weapons, cartridges, and magazines of various calibers,” the report said.
State government sources informed AFP that the 12 attackers, who were allegedly members of a drug gang, died in the incident. The military also used a helicopter and drones during the incident.
One of the states most affected by organized crime violence is Tamaulipas, which is close to the United States.
There are constant fights there between gangs that are competing over lucrative drug lines.
In March last year, four US citizens were kidnapped at gunpoint after crossing the border into Tamaulipas State in a minivan. Two of them ultimately perished. The attack killed Americans Zindell Brown and Shaeed Woodard, although Eric Williams and Latavia McGee escaped. Areli Pablo Servando, 33, a Mexican woman, was also killed, reportedly by a stray bullet.
Shortly after the abduction, the Gulf drug gang surrendered five individuals to authorities. A letter claiming to be from the Gulf cartel’s Scorpions division condemned the violence and stated that the organization had turned over its own accountable members to authorities.
In a recent operation, the Gulf cartel’s ranks were disrupted when Mexican marines successfully apprehended a high-ranking leader. The Mexico Navy Department revealed that the suspect, who remains unidentified, was considered a crucial figure within one of the most influential criminal organizations in Tamaulipas. The detainee was also highlighted as a prime target by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This successful operation marks a significant blow to the cartel’s operations.
Mexico has witnessed over 420,000 murders and 110,000 disappearances since the initiation of a highly controversial military anti-drug operation in 2006. The majority of these incidents have been attributed to criminal organizations.
